Dictionary.com

antidote

[ an-ti-doht ]
/ ˈæn tɪˌdoʊt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for antidote on Thesaurus.com
noun
a medicine or other remedy for counteracting the effects of poison, disease, etc.
something that prevents or counteracts injurious or unwanted effects: Good jobs are the best antidote to teenage crime.
verb (used with object), an·ti·dot·ed, an·ti·dot·ing.
to counteract with an antidote: Medication was given to antidote the poison the child had swallowed.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
affect
effect
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Meet Grammar CoachWrite or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar helpImprove Your Writing
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Origin of antidote

1400–50; late Middle English (<Middle French ) <Latin antidotum<Greek antídoton something given against (i.e., for counteracting), equivalent to anti-anti- + dotón neuter of dotós given, verbid of didónai to give; akin to datum

OTHER WORDS FROM antidote

an·ti·dot·al, an·ti·dot·i·cal [an-ti-dot-i-kuhl], /ˌæn tɪˈdɒt ɪ kəl/, adjectivean·ti·dot·al·ly, an·ti·dot·i·cal·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH antidote

anecdote, antedate, antidote
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to antidote

corrective, countermeasure, cure, remedy, antitoxin, antivenin, medicine, nullifier, preventive, counteractant, counteragent, counterstep, negator, neutralizer

How to use antidote in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for antidote

antidote
/ (ˈæntɪˌdəʊt) /
noun
med a drug or agent that counteracts or neutralizes the effects of a poison
anything that counteracts or relieves a harmful or unwanted condition; remedy

Derived forms of antidote

antidotal, adjective

Word Origin for antidote

C15: from Latin antidotum, from Greek antidoton something given as a countermeasure, from anti- + didonai to give
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for antidote

antidote
[ ăn′tĭ-dōt′ ]
n.
An agent used to neutralize or counteract the effects of a poison.

Other words from antidote

an′ti•dot′al (ăn′tĭ-dōt′l) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for antidote

antidote
[ ăn′tĭ-dōt′ ]
A substance that counteracts the effects of a poison.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK