Dictionary

tranquilize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z] without æ-raising
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtɹeɪ̯ŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/ (Canada, US)
• [ˈtɹ̝̊ʷɛ̃ŋkwɪlaɪ̯z] ~ [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷɛ̃ŋkwɪlaɪ̯z] (Canada, US)
• /ˈtɹɛ̃ŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/ (Canada, US)
• [ˈtɹ̝̊ʷæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z] without æ-raising
• [ˈtɹ̝̊ʷeɪ̯ŋkwɪlaɪ̯z] ~ [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷeɪ̯ŋkwɪlaɪ̯z] (Canada, US)
• /ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/ without æ-raising

Etymology

From Middle French tranquiliser. Analyzable as tranquil + -ize.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To calm (a person or animal) or put them to sleep using a tranquilizer dart.
   • When the public protests, confronted with some obvious evidence of damaging results of pesticide applications, it is fed little tranquilizing pills of half truth. 1962, Rachel Carson, chapter 2, in Silent Spring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, page 13:
   • The escaped lion was finally tracked down, tranquilized, and safely returned to the zoo.
   • Miss Ratched shall line us all against the wall, where we’ll face the terrible maw of a muzzle-loading shotgun which she has loaded with Miltowns! Thorazines! Libriums! Stelazines! And with a wave of her sword, blooie! Tranquilize all of us completely out of existence. 1962, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, New York: Dial, page 255:
2. (literary, transitive) To make (something or someone) tranquil.
   • 1779, Frances Burney, Evelina, Dublin: Price, Corcoran et al., Volume 2, Letter 14, p. 87, […] with words of sweetest kindness and consolation, he soothed and tranquilised me.
   • But time had tranquillized Dina’s worries about the landlord. 1995, Rohinton Mistry, chapter 11, in A Fine Balance, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, page 497:
   • […] I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven, for nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose,—a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC:
   • Supported by an impregnable sense of justice but still dangerously fuming, Lucia went back to her garden-room, to tranquillize herself with an hour’s practice on the new piano. 1931, E. F. Benson, chapter 4, in Mapp and Lucia:
   • This threat, the reader may well suppose, was not very tranquilizing to my feelings. 1855, Frederick Douglass, chapter 13, in My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC:
   • The column was placed under the orders of Major Renaud, who pushed up the road; fighting as occasion offered; tranquillizing the country by the very simple expedient of hanging everybody who showed signs of insubordination […] 1865, G. O. Trevelyan, chapter 5, in Cawnpore, London: Macmillan, page 322:
3. (intransitive, obsolete, rare) To become tranquil.
   • Seest thou not, that this unseasonable gravity is admitted to quell the palpitations of this unmanageable heart? But still it will go on with its boundings. I’ll try, as I ride in my chariot, to tranquillize. 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter I”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume V, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 11:
4. (transitive) To dart (a person or animal) with a sedative
   • Moose should only be down about 15 to 20 minutes after being tranquilized. 2004 March 15, Laura Hancock, Deseret News:
   • The bear should go down several minutes after being tranquilized.

Forms

Antonyms

madden

Deriveds

tranquilizer · tranquillization · tranquilization · retranquilize · trank · tranq

Relateds

tranquilness · tranquility · tranquil

Synonyms

relax · pacify · calm down · calm · trank · dart · tranq · sedate · appease

Translations (32)

pt tranquilizar (to make something or someone tranquil) · la sēdō (to make something or someone tranquil) · fr tranquilliser (to calm down) · pt tranquilizar (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · mt heddel (to make something or someone tranquil) · ca tranquil·litzar (to make something or someone tranquil) · bg успокоявам се (to calm down) · fr tranquilliser (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · bg успокоявам (to make something or someone tranquil) · nl verdoven (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · fr tranquilliser (to make something or someone tranquil) · fi laantua (to become tranquil) · bg упоявам (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · es tranquilizarse (to become tranquil) · fi antaa rauhoittavia lääkkeitä (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · fi antaa rauhoittavaa (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · fi asettua (to become tranquil) · fi rauhoittaa (to make something or someone tranquil) · eo trankviligi (to make something or someone tranquil) · it sedare (to make something or someone tranquil) · fi rauhoittua (to calm down) · es tranquilizar (to make something or someone tranquil) · de ruhig stellen (to make something or someone tranquil) · bg успокоявам се (to become tranquil) · ja 鎮める (to make something or someone tranquil) · fr tranquilliser (to become tranquil) · fi rauhoittua (to become tranquil) · es dormir (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · fi rauhoittaa (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · it tranquillizzare (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · tr sakinleştirmek (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal) · nrf trantchiliser (to use a drug to sedate a person or animal)