Meaning & use
diaphoretic
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounmedicaltechnical
Causing or increasing sweating, especially as a medical effect.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in 'diaphoretic effect'.
The doctor prescribed a diaphoretic drug to help the patient sweat out the fever.
Some herbs have a diaphoretic action that raises body temperature slightly.
The diaphoretic properties of the plant were known to traditional healers.
nouncountablemedicaltechnical
A medicine or substance that induces sweating.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'diaphoretics'.
The pharmacist recommended a mild diaphoretic for the cold.
Diaphoretics were commonly used in nineteenth-century medicine.
She took a diaphoretic to help break her fever.
Word forms
| plural | diaphoretics |
|---|
Common combinations
- diaphoretic effect
- The diaphoretic effect of the drug was noted within an hour.
- diaphoretic action
- The herb's diaphoretic action helps reduce fever.
- diaphoretic properties
- Researchers studied the diaphoretic properties of the plant.
- mild diaphoretic
- A mild diaphoretic can be used for colds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sudorific
- A more technical synonym that also means causing sweating; it is even rarer than 'diaphoretic'.
- sweat-inducing
- A plain descriptive phrase used in everyday language instead of the medical term.
Opposites
Word family
- diaphoresis noun
- The medical term for excessive sweating.
Commonly confused: diaphoretic or diuretic? diaphoretic or diaphanous?
diaphoretic vs diuretic
A diuretic makes you urinate more, while a diaphoretic makes you sweat more. Both are medical terms but affect different bodily functions.
diaphoretic vs diaphanous
Diaphanous means light and delicate, often describing fabric; it is not related to sweating.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'diaphoretic' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Choice 1 is correct because 'diaphoretic' means causing sweating. Choice 0 is wrong because reducing swelling is not the effect of a diaphoretic. Choice 2 is wrong because 'diaphoretic' is not used to describe a person's feeling. Choice 3 is wrong because stopping bleeding is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “diaphoretic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.