Meaning & use
tranq
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformal
An informal word for a tranquilizer, a drug that calms people or makes them sleepy.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a tranq or two tranqs.
Patterns
- take a tranq
- give someone a tranq
- be on tranqs
The nurse gave him a tranq to help him sleep.
She said she was on tranqs for her nerves.
Police found a box of tranqs in the car.
nouncountableinformal
A dart or shot containing a calming drug, used to make a wild animal sleep.
Grammar: Countable and common in news reports about animals.
Patterns
- hit an animal with a tranq
- fire a tranq at something
The vet hit the bear with a tranq from a safe distance.
They used a tranq to move the elephant to another park.
verbtransitiveinformal
To calm or sedate a person or animal with a drug (informal short form of tranquilize).
Grammar: Takes an object: tranq the animal.
Patterns
- tranq an animal
- tranq someone
Rangers tranqed the lion and checked its health.
He was tranqed before the operation.
Word forms
| plural | tranqs |
|---|---|
| third person singular | tranqs |
| past tense | tranqed |
| past participle | tranqed |
| -ing form | tranqing |
Common combinations
- a tranq dart
- The keeper loaded a tranq dart into the rifle.
- a tranq gun
- They carried a tranq gun in case the animal charged.
- on tranqs
- He seemed slow and sleepy, as if he were on tranqs.
- give someone a tranq
- The doctor gave her a tranq to calm her down.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tranquilizer
- The full, more formal word; use it in medical or official writing, and tranq only in casual speech.
- sedative
- A broader medical term for any calming drug; tranq is informal and often suggests a shot or dart.
Opposites
Word family
- tranquilizer noun
- The full form of the drug.
- tranquilize verb
- To calm or sedate someone with a drug.
- tranquilized adjective
- Calmed or sedated by a drug.
Commonly confused: tranq or tranquil?
tranq vs tranquil
Tranquil is an adjective meaning calm and peaceful, while tranq is a noun for a calming drug.
Practice
The zookeeper used a ___ to make the tiger sleep before the check-up.
Choose one answer.
A tranq is a calming drug or dart, which fits 'used a ... to make the tiger sleep.' 'Tranquil' is an adjective, 'tranquility' a noun meaning calmness, and 'tranquilly' an adverb, so none fits after 'a' here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tranq”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.