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Synonyms

cough syrup

American  

noun

cough syrups plural
  1. a medicated, syruplike fluid, usually flavored and nonnarcotic or mildly narcotic, for relieving coughs or soothing irritated throats.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of cough syrup

First recorded in 1875–80

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:

The Indian cough syrup market is set to soar from $262.5m in 2024 to $743m by 2035, growing at a compound annual rate of 9.9%, according to Market Research Future.

From BBC Oct. 7, 2025

Chris Robinson, the actor who played Dr. Rick Webber on “General Hospital” and also introduced America to a classic turn of phrase in a commercial for cough syrup, has died of heart failure.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 12, 2025

Q: I would like to share my recipe for honey and onion cough syrup.

From Seattle Times Jan. 3, 2024

An old campaign slogan for cough syrup, "It tastes awful. And it works," seemed to imply that any sweet content might have diminished the medicinal effect.

From Science Daily Oct. 25, 2023

“Right. Got it. Like who decided to make cough syrup taste like fake bubble gum? Disgusting on both counts.”

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence

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