analgesic

American  

[an-l-jee-zik, -sik] / ˌæn lˈdʒi zɪk, -sɪk /

noun

analgesics plural

1. a remedy that relieves or allays pain.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or causing analgesia, or the relief of pain.

analgesic British  

/ -sɪk, ˌænəlˈdʒiːzɪk /

adjective

1. of or causing analgesia

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noun

1. a substance that produces analgesia

analgesic Scientific  

/ ăn′əl-jē′zĭk /

1. A drug used to eliminate pain; a painkiller. Aspirin and acetaminophen are analgesics.

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analgesic Cultural  

1. A drug, such as aspirin, that relieves pain in the body.

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Usage

What does analgesic mean? An analgesic is a remedy that reduces or relieves pain. It especially refers to pain relief medicine, such as acetaminophen. Analgesics also include drugs known as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as ibuprofen. Analgesic can also be used as an adjective describing things that have pain-relieving effects, as in the analgesic properties of certain herbs. Analgesic comes from the word analgesia, which means a lessening of pain or the absence of pain. Example: Aspirin is a well-known and commonly used analgesic.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• analgesics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of analgesic

First recorded in 1870–75; analges(ia) + -ic

Explanation

An analgesic is a medicine that takes away physical pain. If you ask for pain relief, and the nurse says "Here's an analgesic," she's not trying to worsen your headache with a difficult word; she's just giving you a painkiller. Breaking apart the word analgesic helps with pronunciation, ann-ull-JEE-zick. This isn't a proper root-word study, but the last three letters of the word look like "sick." If you're sick and have some pain and discomfort, you might get relief from an analgesic. As a noun, analgesic is the actual medicine, and as an adjective, it describes the effect of the medicine — a pill will have an analgesic effect, relieving the pain — unless it's really bad pain, in which case you'll need two.

Example Sentences

Analgesic was administered after surgery along with temperature-controlled post-surgical monitoring to minimize suffering.

From Nature • Mar. 19, 2017

"We tell them the truth," says Dr Nathaniel Katz, the president of Analgesic Solutions, a consultancy that helps drug companies avoid trial failures.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2015