as in sedative
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
the doctor prescribed an analgesic and rest for my injured knee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in anesthetic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of analgesic
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Its pill, called Tonyma, is a nonopioid analgesic designed to be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
An analgesic medication that works in the brain to reduce mild to moderate pain by increasing the body’s pain threshold and changing the way the body senses pain.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for analgesic
Noun
The draft guidance could shape clinical trial designs, labeling considerations and FDA review expectations for future prescription non-opioid analgesics seeking approval for chronic pain indications, potentially influencing investment and development priorities in the pharmaceutical industry.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Its pill, called Tonyma, is a nonopioid analgesic designed to be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The draft, titled Development of Non-Opioid Analgesics for Chronic Pain, outlines steps to creating and seeking alternative chronic pain treatments amid the opioid epidemic, specifically the development of non-opioid analgesic products.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
An analgesic medication that works in the brain to reduce mild to moderate pain by increasing the body’s pain threshold and changing the way the body senses pain.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for analgesic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for analgesic
Noun
-
All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Jon Ruben, a 76-year-old retired British veterinarian, was sentenced to 23 years and 10 months in prison on charges of child abuse after drugging boys with sedative-laden candy last year at a summer camp in England.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Part of what makes leeches so effective at blood-sucking is that their saliva has uniquely anesthetic and anticoagulant properties, so they’ve been used for thousands of years for folk medicines in Asia and Eastern Europe.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The suit alleges that surgeon Dare Ajibade gave Easley an excessive amount of the anesthetic lidocaine during the 6½-hour procedure and failed to recognize persistent vomiting afterward as a sign of toxicity.—
Fred Schulte,
Miami Herald,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
After that, officials decided to use tranquilizer darts to take down the animals believed to be the three adults in the pack before euthanizing them.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Recent years, for example, have seen a major increase in adulteration with the horse tranquilizer xylazine, which knocks users out but doesn’t satisfy the opioid craving.—
Charles Fain Lehman,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Of those, 38,514 were associated with fentanyl, a synthetic opiate, a 34% decrease from the year prior, according to the report.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The tavern is called Milk of the Poppy, a nod to the opiate tonic in Thrones, yet it’s not officially based on the show.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While the photos on the pamphlets are anodyne—cheerful workers on assembly lines—the text offers a dire warning of looming job cuts, accusing Germany’s traditional unions of selling out workers.—
William Wilkes,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Port, which is overseen by the county, issued its own anodyne statement at the time, never conceding any role in the problem.—
Sean Patrick Cooper,
Rolling Stone,
24 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Universal wrapped the coaster cars in a hypnotic geometric black-and-white zebra design to obscure the ride vehicles.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Other artists of this era sought to intervene, guerrilla style, in the apparatuses of advertising, in order to shake consumers from their hypnotic slumber.—
Michael Cowan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The drink is known for its mild euphoria and depressant effects.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Analgesic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/analgesic. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
