as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
the otherwise anodyne comments sounded quite inflammatory when taken out of context
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in sedative
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
the dentist prescribed an anodyne after the root canal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security
as an anodyne for the stress and superficiality of the modern world, there's nothing better than reading a literary classic of substance and insight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of anodyne
Elizabeth Spiers,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2026
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
John Brant,
Popular Mechanics,
27 Apr. 2020
This is the confluence that defines the spectacle: statistics, like photographs, have a kind of moral authority, one whose meaning may repel us but one that nevertheless encourages certainty, and thus anodyne.
—
Shannon Pufahl,
The New York Review of Books,
21 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for anodyne
Adjective
Melania’s chronicle of her own life in and around the White House has a vague and eerie ChatGPT-like quality—anodyne statements full of clichés seemingly drafted for an educational video for third graders.
—
Elizabeth Spiers,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
Peterson pauses, running his hand along the blue aluminum-anodyne actuator machined to match the length of Daniel’s right thigh.
—
John Brant,
Popular Mechanics,
27 Apr. 2020
This is the confluence that defines the spectacle: statistics, like photographs, have a kind of moral authority, one whose meaning may repel us but one that nevertheless encourages certainty, and thus anodyne.
—
Shannon Pufahl,
The New York Review of Books,
21 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for anodyne
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anodyne
Adjective
-
The Korean Football Association was furious, responding to this juvenile, but ultimately harmless, prattle by boycotting the Korean press.
-
Everyday activities like showering and cooking can create indoor condensation that may appear harmless, but can actually pose serious problems if it's not controlled.
Noun
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In addition, a sedative such as diazepam (Valium) is often prescribed to reduce anxiety.
-
The woman did a Google image search and concluded that the drug was stronger — Ambien, a prescription sedative, reads the complaint.
Noun
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The oldest defendant, 70-year-old Glenn Middleton, is charged with firearm and narcotics offenses and accused of storing items used in the conspiracy.
-
The seizures added up to about 420 grams of cocaine, $2,291 in cash, a rifle, four pistols, various magazines and ammunition, and digital scales and packaging materials believed to be used in narcotics distribution, the sheriff's office said.
Adjective
-
Imaging this week showed Brown has a stress reaction in his neck, which was in the same spot as his 2024 ailment that ultimately had been diagnosed as an osteoma (benign bone tumor).
-
Where the Lipoma Claim Comes From Online posts have spread the idea that the mushroom can shrink lipomas, the benign fatty tumors that commonly form under a dog’s skin.
Noun
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Across all participants, 81% reduced their use of oral analgesics, and the suppository was well-tolerated, with most participants willing to use it again.
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One approach to the treatment of pain, almost regardless of its cause, has gained both acceptance and notoriety: the use of opioids, or narcotic analgesics.
Noun
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In 2020, O'Neal had a near-fatal stroke after overdosing on morphine, opiates and pain medication.
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Are laughter and lightness merely opiates, or tools of the revolution, or both, or neither?
Adjective
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Videos have flooded social media platforms in the hours since the earthquakes hit Venezuela, with people both inside and outside the country using them to gauge the extent of the destruction, and check if the homes of uncontactable family members are safe.
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Police said in a news release Thursday afternoon that Caprice and her child have been found safe.
Noun
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The worrisome drug withdrawal popping up in jails A powerful tranquilizer has started to accompany fentanyl in the country’s illicit opioid supply, and jails are struggling to handle the drug’s excruciating, complicated withdrawal symptoms.
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When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.
Cite this Entry
“Anodyne.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anodyne. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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