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Intermediate Dictionary        

dras·tic

drastic

 
 
pronunciation:
drae stihk
features:
Word History
part of speech: adjective
definition: extreme or severe.
The government had to take drastic action to solve the crisis.
synonyms:
extreme, radical
antonyms:
moderate
similar words:
excessive, harsh, severe, violent
derivation: drastically (adv.)
Word History
Drastic comes from an ancient Greek word that means "effective," or "thing to be done." In the 1600s, a strong medicine with that acted with force on the body was called a "drastic." "Drastic" was first used to mean "extreme" or "severe" in the early 1800s.