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painkiller
noun
pain·kill·er
ˈpān-ˌki-lər
variants
or less commonly pain-killer
: something (such as a drug) that relieves pain
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
Buprenorphine also belongs to the same class of drugs as the painkillers and illicit opioids that have led to so much anguish in the first place, most likely causing many physicians to avoid it reflexively.
—
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Since coming home, the most troubled of them had turned to painkillers, alcohol, and even meth.
—
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ non-opioid painkiller Journavx, which blocks pain signals sent to the brain at their origin.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
No word on exemptions FDA approves painkiller designed to eliminate the risk of addiction associated with opioids
The word on NFL draft prospects, free agents and Chicago Bears coaches.
—
Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1849, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near painkiller
Cite this Entry
“Painkiller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painkiller. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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