tranquilize

/ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/

//ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z// verb

"tranquilize" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tranquilize” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To calm (a person or animal) or put them to sleep using a tranquilizer dart.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tranquilize · tranquilize · English

tranquilize · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for tranquilize
PropertyValue
Headwordtranquilize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tranquilize” in English

tranquilizesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tranquilize is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for tranquilize, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French tranquiliser. Analyzable as tranquil + -ize. The correct English form is tranquilize, spelled T-R-A-N-Q-U-I-L-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To calm (a person or animal) or put them to sleep using a tranquilizer dart.
  2. 2
    To make (something or someone) tranquil.
  3. 3
    To become tranquil.
  4. 4
    To dart (a person or animal) with a sedative

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how tranquilize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The escaped lion was finally tracked down, tranquilized, and safely returned to the zoo.
  2. Miss Ratched shall line us all against the wall, where we’ll face the terrible maw of a muzzle-loading shotgun which she has loaded with Miltowns! Thorazines! Libriums! Stelazines! And with a wave of her sword, blooie! Tranquilize all of us completely out of existence.

Etymology

From Middle French tranquiliser. Analyzable as tranquil + -ize.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tranquilize"?
"tranquilize" is spelled T-R-A-N-Q-U-I-L-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/.
What does "tranquilize" mean?
As a verb, "tranquilize" means: To calm (a person or animal) or put them to sleep using a tranquilizer dart.
How do you pronounce "tranquilize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tranquilize" is /ˈtɹæŋkwɪlaɪ̯z/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "tranquilize"?
From Middle French tranquiliser. Analyzable as tranquil + -ize. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list