painkiller
Americannoun
noun
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an analgesic drug or agent
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anything that relieves pain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of painkiller
Explanation
A painkiller is a medicine that's used to dull or relieve pain, like the painkiller your dad gives you when you have a bad headache. Painkillers are meant to do exactly what their name says: to kill pain. You can also call this kind of medication an analgesic. These range from aspirin and acetaminophen, which are sold over the counter to treat minor aches and pains, to powerful anesthetics administered by doctors before surgery. If you get your wisdom teeth removed, you'll most likely need a painkiller during and after the procedure.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Scientific research has not identified causality between taking the painkiller and the development of those conditions in children.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
The painkiller is usually prescribed for relatively minor conditions, such as aching joints or people recovering from surgery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
While still an effective painkiller, ibuprofen can be a better choice for period pain because it blocks the production of prostaglandins - the chemical responsible for causing the cramping contractions of muscles in the womb.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
He previously wrote about Samsung from Seoul, but in prior stints at the Journal's New York, Atlanta and Chicago offices, he covered Wall Street's biggest buyers, painkiller addiction, airlines and food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
"A monochrome Jackson Pollock," Jane says, and then tells Tiny, "We gotta bolt. This band is like a root canal sans painkiller."
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
Lilly is expanding into non-opioid painkillers, a neuroscience growth area, despite a history of shelved candidates.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Kevin Liu, an oil and gas analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, compared the SPR releases as a painkillers for the oil market.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
In India, 40 million vultures were reduced to nearly zero by the presence of veterinary painkillers, lethal to vultures, in cattle carcasses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
"They admitted him to hospital where he developed a bad fever, really bad diarrhoea. He was on a drip, he needed constant fluids, constant painkillers," said Gareth.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
“You woke up once, but you fell back asleep. Dr. Han said the painkillers would knock you out, so I guess they did the job.”
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
