1
take a purgative
She took a purgative to relieve her constipation.
她服用了泻药来缓解便秘。
泻药
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
泻药
a substance, especially a medicine, that causes the bowels to empty; laxative
She took a purgative to relieve her constipation.
她服用了泻药来缓解便秘。
促使排便的物质或药物；泻药
something, such as a substance or medicine, that purges; laxative
The old remedy was a strong purgative made from senna leaves.
这种古老的治疗方法是用番泻叶制成的强效泻药。
He took a purgative before the medical examination to clear his bowels.
他在体检前服用了泻药来清空肠道。
Many ancient physicians used purgatives to remove what they believed were harmful substances.
许多古代医生使用泻药来清除他们认为有害的物质。
She took a purgative to relieve her constipation.
她服用了泻药来缓解便秘。
Doctors often use this plant as a purgative.
医生们常把这种植物用作泻药。
Senna is a natural purgative for constipation.
番泻叶是治疗便秘的天然泻药。
Not this
The doctor purgative the patient before the surgery.
Use this
The doctor purged the patient before the surgery.
purgative 是名词，意为“泻药”，不能用作动词；表示“给……服泻药/使排便”应用动词 purge。
Not this
I ate a purgative to relieve my constipation.
Use this
I took a purgative to relieve my constipation.
汉语“吃药”常直译为 eat，但英语中服药的习惯搭配动词是 take，所以应说 take a purgative。
Not this
I have constipation and need purgative.
Use this
I have constipation and need a purgative.
purgative 是可数名词，单数形式前需要不定冠词 a/an；汉语没有冠词，学习者容易漏掉。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
服用泻药
The doctor told him to take a purgative to clear his bowels.
医生让他服用泻药来清肠。
强效泻药
Senna is known as a strong purgative.
番泻叶被认为是一种强效泻药。
温和的泻药
Prunes are often used as a mild purgative.
西梅干常被用作温和的泻药。
天然泻药
This herbal tea works as a natural purgative.
这种草药茶能起到天然泻药的作用。
草药泻药
This herbal purgative is sold in health food stores.
这种草药泻药在健康食品店有售。
Use purgative naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想 purge（清除）+ -ative，就是“清除肠道”的药物；purgative 泻药，像清空一样排便。
语域：formal 常见场景：medicine、pharmacy、clinical purgative 作名词时多用于医学、药学等正式书面语境，意为“泻药”，属于较为正式的说法。
purgative（/ˈpəːgətiv/）的重读元音为 /əː/，其后为 /ɡətɪv/。以上各词虽都含有拼写片段 -ative，但重读元音或重音位置不同，因此都不与 purgative 押韵。例如 laxative（/ˈlæksətɪv/）和 negative（/ˈneɡətɪv/）的重读元音分别为 /æ/ 和 /e/，读音差别明显。仅可参考拼写结尾，不宜据此推断发音。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.