psychotropic agent
1
7.8
- noun
- /ˌsaɪkəˈtroʊpɪk ˈeɪdʒənt/
- Specialized
:
agente psicotrópico
- Students learned how a psychotropic agent can alter perception and mood during their pharmacology class.
Examples
-
Anticholinergics, such as psychotropic agents and antihistamines, and diuretics can dry the oral mucosa.
Academic text (1999) -
The researcher studied the effects of a specific psychotropic agent on anxiety levels in participants.
-
Doctors often prescribe a psychotropic agent to help manage mental health disorders such as depression.
Synonyms
15
8.1
A drug that makes people see, hear, or feel things that are not real
3
4.8
A drug that changes how a person thinks, feels, or sees things
2
4.4
Something that changes how the mind works and so changes mood, behaviour and what you notice
1
6.1
A substance that makes you see or hear things that are not real
1
7.9
A drug that makes people see or feel things that are not real
1
6.0
A drug that changes how you think, feel or act
1
7.7
A drug that changes how you feel, think, or see things
A drug that makes a person see or hear things that are not there and think strangely
How Psychotropic
- Specialized
1
7.8
- Specialized
1
6.0
- Specialized
14
5.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase's meaning ('a substance that affects mental states') is directly and transparently derived from 'psychotropic' (influencing mental states) + 'agent' (a thing or substance that produces an effect). This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase following common English and cross‑linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should infer the meaning.
Etymology
Psychotropic agent comes from old parts of words: psycho- meaning 'mind' and -tropic meaning 'turn'. So a psychotropic agent is a chemical that 'turns' or changes a person's mind or mood, which is why the name is used for drugs that affect thinking or feeling.