anabolic steroid

noun

: any of a group of usually synthetic hormones that are derivatives of testosterone, are used medically especially to promote tissue growth, and are sometimes abused by athletes to increase the size and strength of their muscles and improve endurance

Examples of anabolic steroid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Former President Joe Biden started the process of shifting marijuana to a Schedule III drug, as well as other drugs such as ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone. —Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2025

Traces of nandrolone, the anabolic steroid that can increase strength and speed, were detected and Guardiola was banned for four months. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 20 June 2025

But behind the scenes Johnson, 47, was taking $11,000 worth of anabolic steroids each month—a revelation that has prompted health experts to warn the public against emulating him. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025

On Monday, prosecutors painted Wenger as an enthusiastic newcomer to the world of anabolic steroids — going so far as allegedly connecting a friend to his dealer just days after his first injection. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anabolic steroid

• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid
• amyloid
• aneroid
• anthropoid
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• celluloid
• coronoid

Kids Definition

anabolic steroid

noun

: any of several man-made hormones that are used in medicine to help tissue grow, that are sometimes abused by athletes to increase muscle size and strength, and that may have harmful effects (as stunted growth in teenagers)

Medical Definition

anabolic steroid

noun

: any of a group of usually synthetic hormones that are derivatives of testosterone, are used medically especially to promote tissue growth, and are sometimes abused by athletes to increase the size and strength of their muscles and improve endurance