opiate

American  

[oh-pee-it, -ayt, oh-pee-ayt] / ˈoʊ pi ɪt, -ˌeɪt, ˈoʊ piˌeɪt /

noun

• opiates
  plural

1. Biochemistry, Pharmacology. a drug containing opium or its derivatives, used in medicine for inducing sleep and relieving pain.

   The opium poppy yields morphine, codeine, and other opiates.

2. Biochemistry, Pharmacology. any sedative, soporific, or narcotic.

   Back then, the country physician would concoct all sorts of opiates in a crude kitchen laboratory.

   Synonyms:

   drug

   Antonyms:

   stimulant

3. anything that causes dullness or inaction or that soothes the feelings.

   His favorite opiate seems to be a six-pack in front of the TV.

   Synonyms:

   anodyne

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adjective

1. Biochemistry, Pharmacology. mixed or prepared with opium.

   Some opiate substances, such as thebaine, may be more toxic than narcotic.

2. Biochemistry, Pharmacology. inducing sleep; soporific; narcotic.

   Subjects were given a variety of opiate teas over the course of a four-week study.

   Synonyms:

   sedative

3. causing dullness or inaction.

   The opiate effects of their droning reprimands were legendary.

verb (used with object)

opiated, opiating

1. to subject to an opiate; stupefy.

   The violent patients were routinely opiated.

2. to dull or deaden.

   This dreadful music is opiating my spirit.

opiate British  

noun

1. any of various narcotic drugs, such as morphine and heroin, that act on opioid receptors

2. any other narcotic or sedative drug

3. something that soothes, deadens, or induces sleep

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adjective

1. containing or consisting of opium

2. inducing relaxation; soporific

verb

1. to treat with an opiate

2. to dull or deaden

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unopiated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• opiates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of opiate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, from Medieval Latin opiātus “bringing sleep,” equivalent to Latin opi(um) “poppy juice” + adjective suffix -ātus; see origin at opium, -ate ¹

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Explanation

An opiate is a drug such as morphine or heroin that is derived from opium. Used figuratively, it means something that calms or soothes. Karl Marx famously said that religion was the opiate of the masses, which means he thought that it was religion that prevented working-class people from rising up against their leaders. Today, you might say that television has replaced religion as a mass opiate, but you'd need to say that during a commercial for anyone to pay much attention.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

opiate opiates

If sports don't trump religion as the opiate of the masses, they have, until recently, been at least the background music of most of our lives.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2020

Sir Peter was also criticised by family members of patients who died after being given opiate drugs at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2020

“The opiate of the masses,” I snootily replied on e-vites to sports-based gatherings.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2018

People who have co-occurring mental health disorders, especially ones that require medication, or who use treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine for opiate use disorder don’t always feel welcome in the recovery community.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2017

And what opiate for his severe sufferings—what object for his strong passions—had he sought there?

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Medications such as opiates primarily target pain signaling, but they may not adequately address the brain networks involved in the emotional and personal dimensions of persistent pain.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

Bonus: I need no more arthritis meds, no more opiates, no more braces and no cane.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

Finally, he has cited several global issues—food security, climate change, pandemics, the spread of opiates, and the perils of artificial intelligence—that can be solved only through U.S.-China cooperation.

From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2023

In 1998, Brazil’s health regulatory agency, ANVISA, included misoprostol on the list of controlled drugs, alongside opiates, which meant a prison sentence of up to 15 years for anyone caught importing or buying it.

From New York Times ● Jun. 28, 2022

The pillow smells of his lime pomade and she breathes it in, sobbing . . . . . . until, drugged by weeping’s opiates, she falls asleep.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Related Words

• narcotic
• opium
• sedative
• tranquilizer

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