Skip to main content
contractive

contractive

7.5
Makes a muscle or tissue shorten
  • adjective
  • /kənˈtræktɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : contractivo
  • The contractive muscles in her abdomen helped her lift the heavy weights.

Examples

  • And since it has some contractive tissue, we've cooked it for a long, you know, longer period.

  • When exposed to cold, the contractive tissues in the body work to maintain warmth.

  • The doctor explained that the contractive properties of the medication would help the injured area heal.

Synonyms

contractionary
vscontractive
  • Specialized
8.2

That causes muscles or tissues to become tighter and shorter

is used broadly outside clinical contexts rather than mainly medical
constrictive
vscontractive
6.2

Making something tight so it is hard to move

causes internal muscle shortening rather than only narrowing external space

Antonyms

47 1.0

Making you feel calm and comfortable

How Contractive

contractive
  • Specialized
7.5
contractile
  • Specialized
7.4
flaccid
14 7.3

Surface Forms

contractive positive

Morphology

contractive = contract (transparent) = contract + ive

Clear adjectival formation from the verb 'contract' meaning 'to shorten or draw together', directly matching the physiological sense.

Etymology

The word contractive comes from the Latin parts con- 'together' and tract 'pull', so it literally means 'pulling together'. That's why contractive describes muscles that shorten and pull parts of the body closer together.