drastic

dras-tic · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; extreme or severe.

  2. 2.

    (of action) Severe in nature and having wide-ranging consequences.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    drastic measures — extreme actions taken to address a problem
  • •
    drastic reduction — a very large decrease
  • •
    drastic times call for drastic measures — difficult situations require extreme solutions

Related words

Antonyms: gentle, mild, moderate
See also: extreme, radical, severe
Synonyms: extreme, radical, severe

Etymology

From Greek drastikos ("effective, active"), from dran ("to do, act"). First used in English in the 17th century.