hydroxychloroquine

noun

hy·​droxy·​chlor·​o·​quine hī-ˌdräk-sē-ˈklȯr-ə-ˌkwēn 

-kwin

: a drug derived from quinolone that is taken orally in the form of its sulfate C₁₈H₂₆ClN₃O·H₂SO₄ to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematosus

Two commonly used antimalarials are chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, both generic drugs.

—Consumer Reports

Originally an antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine is often … prescribed to people with mild, slowly progressing arthritis.

—Samir Sutaria

Examples of hydroxychloroquine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2020, the FDA said that hydroxychloroquine could cause heart rhythm problems and should not be used outside a hospital setting. —Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025

In addition, just as President Donald Trump encouraged hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19, both unproven therapies, Kennedy claims that vitamin A supplementation using cod liver oil will prevent and treat measles despite no scientific basis for this intervention. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

Oz promoted using the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19, a theory that was debunked but spread by Trump and others for months. —Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and while the president was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure, his weight was pegged at 244 pounds. —Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hydroxychloroquine

• isoleucine
• acini
• aldine
• arsine
• carinii
• cosine
• delphine
• domine
• latine
• leucine
• ovine
• pennine

Medical Definition

hydroxychloroquine

noun

hy·​droxy·​chlor·​o·​quine -ˈklōr-ə-ˌkwēn, -kwin 

: a drug derived from quinoline that is administered orally in the form of its sulfate C₁₈H₂₆ClN₃O·H₂SO₄ to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematosus see plaquenil