calmante
nounCEFR B2
What does “calmante” mean in English?
a medicine that reduces pain, anxiety or agitation
Example sentences
El médico le recetó un calmante suave para reducir la ansiedad antes de la operación.
The doctor prescribed a mild sedative to reduce her anxiety before the operation.
Tomó un calmante para el dolor de cabeza, pero tardó una hora en hacer efecto.
She took a painkiller for the headache, but it took an hour to take effect.
How to use it
El calmante (noun, masculine, from the verb calmar) means 'sedative' or 'painkiller' in everyday speech: tomar un calmante, recetar un calmante. It overlaps with analgésico but calmante is broader — it can soothe pain, anxiety or nerves, while analgésico refers specifically to pain relief.
Common mistake
Calmante (broad: soothes pain, nerves or anxiety) is not identical to analgésico (specifically a pain-relief medicine) — a calmante can be a sedative for nerves with no pain-relief function at all.
Topics
Related B2 words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Nociones específicas: salud y bienest.