performance-enhancing drug

noun

: a substance (such as an anabolic steroid, human growth hormone, or erythropoietin) that is used illicitly to improve athletic performance

In the United States, more than 1 million elite and recreational athletes use performance-enhancing drugs for muscle building purposes.

—Josiah D. Rich et al.

…33 of the 48 major and minor league players suspended by baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs since the start of 2006 were pitchers.

—Sean Gregory

Roger Bannister, the first person to run a subpar four-minute mile, said today he thought that increased use of blood testing could help curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs by track and field athletes.

—The New York Times

—abbreviation PED

Examples of performance-enhancing drug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To finance his bodybuilding pursuits, Eddie waits tables at a barbecue joint, where his co-worker Trig (Evan Hall) supplies him with performance-enhancing drugs. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Max Kepler, who is still serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. —ABC News, 7 June 2026

The sprinting, swimming and weightlifting event that allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs held its inaugural event in Las Vegas, where organizers had hyped the competition as a PED-friendly Olympics with high drama, big purses and shattered records. —Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 30 May 2026

That record won’t go into the books, however, because the Enhanced Games, true to its name, allows performance-enhancing drugs that are banned in mainstream sports. —Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for performance-enhancing drug

• antidrug
• mealybug
• multidrug
• chug
• doug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug
• pug