painkiller

noun

pain·​kill·​er ˈpān-ˌki-lər How to pronounce painkiller (audio)
variants or less commonly pain-killer
: something (such as a drug) that relieves pain
pain-killing adjective
or painkilling

Examples of painkiller in a Sentence

I took some over-the-counter painkillers for my headache. after her oral surgery, she was given a prescription for a mild painkiller
Recent Examples on the Web Syringes of the opioid painkiller fentanyl are shown in an inpatient pharmacy on June 1, 2018, in Salt Lake City. CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024 In 2003, an international team of conservationists determined, in part by studying the vultures that Chaudhry had collected, that a veterinary painkiller was to blame. Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 Gayles’ ruling came after he was found guilty in August of protecting a ring of Hialeah painkiller peddlers who were under investigation by his agency, Health and Human Services, and the FBI. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024 The widest disparities were in pain management, where nonwhite kids were found to be less likely to receive painkillers for a broken arm or leg, appendicitis or a migraine than white children were. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 There’s little morphine or other painkillers for palliative care. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024 In the first trial, Inman testified on his own behalf and cited as a defense an addiction to painkillers, following a series of surgeries, that affected his memory and judgment, according to Free Press reporting from the time. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2024 Only basic painkillers were available to treat Mohamed and Batool, their mother said at a hospital in Khan Younis. Samar Abu Elouf Samar Abu Elouf, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024 The crisis at first centered on prescription painkillers that gained more acceptance in the 1990s, and later heroin. Lindsay Whitehurst, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painkiller.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of painkiller was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near painkiller

Cite this Entry

“Painkiller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painkiller. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

painkiller

noun
pain·​kill·​er ˈpān-ˌkil-ər How to pronounce painkiller (audio)
: something (as a drug) that relieves pain
painkilling adjective

Medical Definition

painkiller

noun
pain·​kill·​er -ˌkil-ər How to pronounce painkiller (audio)
: something (as a drug) that relieves pain
painkilling adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on painkiller

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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