prozac

IPA/ˈprəʊ.zæk/
KK[prˈozˌæk]IPA/ˈproʊ.zæk/

prozac — noun

1. a medication sold under a widely recognized brand name that doctors give to peop

1.nounB2
Definition

a medication sold under a widely recognized brand name that doctors give to people suffering from depression or severe, persistent worry

Example

After her diagnosis, Tuan started taking Prozac and noticed a big difference in his mood.

collocation: start taking Prozac

The doctor prescribed Prozac to help Camila manage her ongoing anxiety.

collocation: prescribe Prozac

Common collocations
  • take Prozac
  • prescribe Prozac
  • on Prozac
  • a Prozac prescription
  • a low dose of Prozac
Synonyms
  • antidepressant

    generic term for any drug that treats depression; broader category than Prozac

  • fluoxetine

    the official generic (chemical) name for the active ingredient in Prozac; more technical and used mainly in medical contexts

  • SSRI

    stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, the drug class that Prozac belongs to; describes how it works in the brain

Usage Note

Prozac is a trademarked brand name, but in everyday language it is often used to refer broadly to antidepressant medication of the same type. Usually uncountable (e.g., 'on Prozac'), though countable uses exist (e.g., 'a Prozac prescription').

Common Mistakes

My doctor gave me a Prozac.
My doctor prescribed Prozac.
Prozac is usually uncountable when referring to the medication itself, not a countable pill.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Prozac is a specific brand name, while antidepressant is the broadest category covering all medications that relieve depression. Fluoxetine is the official generic name — doctors and pharmacists use it on prescriptions and labels, whereas patients typically say 'Prozac.' SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) names the drug class that Prozac belongs to, along with other medications like Zoloft and Lexapro. In casual conversation, people often say 'I'm on Prozac' even when taking a different SSRI, using the brand name to stand for the whole class. In medical writing or formal contexts, 'fluoxetine' or 'SSRI' would be more precise.

antidepressant ↗fluoxetine ↗SSRI ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Prozac prescription
  • Prozac user
  • Prozac treatment

Adverbs

  • commonly prescribed
  • widely used

Phrases

  • start taking Prozac
  • prescribe Prozac
  • respond to Prozac

Prepositions

  • on Prozac
  • off Prozac
  • a dose of Prozac

Etymology

English (coined brand name)

Prozac is a brand name created by the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in the 1980s for the drug fluoxetine hydrochloride. The name was chosen to be short, memorable, and easy to pronounce across languages. It became one of the best-known drug names in the world after its release in 1987, and the word entered everyday vocabulary as a generic way to refer to antidepressant medication.