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Definition of "decongestant" [decongestant]

  • A medication or treatment that breaks up congestion, as of the sinuses, by reducing swelling. (noun)
  • Capable of relieving congestion. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "decongestant" in a sentence
  • "Alminova was seventh in the 1500 at the 2010 World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar but it was there that she was tested and her blood contained pseudoephedrine, a decongestant which is also a stimulant."
  • "Cashing a check, getting on an airplane, and buying a nasal decongestant are not similarly enshrined in the U.S. Constitution."
  • "I tell her that long warm showers or a humidifier can sometimes make breathing a little easier and help to clear out her sinuses and that she can take a decongestant if the runny nose is really bothering her, but to be careful because many of those medicines can make you drowsy."