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
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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
-
Not the harmless kind that arrives during a slow afternoon.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The test itself is harmless, but acting on the results can cause harm.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The woman did a Google image search and concluded that the drug was stronger — Ambien, a prescription sedative, reads the complaint.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
-
The attorneys also said prosecutors did not prove the sedative is what killed him.—
Mead Gruver,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with criminal organizations frequently using small vessels to move drugs toward North America.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
Since then, the United States and Venezuela have expanded cooperation in areas that include energy policy, migration, counter-narcotics and regional security.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Many spreading this story are doing so with little or no evidence of wrongdoing and are instead relying on information that is false or can be explained by more benign reasons.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
That something so benign could wreak so much havoc against the backdrop of a place as humdrum as a corner restaurant is what makes the story (written by TZ mainstay Richard Matheson) so terrifying.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Across all participants, 81% reduced their use of oral analgesics, and the suppository was well-tolerated, with most participants willing to use it again.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
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.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2020, O'Neal had a near-fatal stroke after overdosing on morphine, opiates and pain medication.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
-
Are laughter and lightness merely opiates, or tools of the revolution, or both, or neither?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite a ballot mix-up by the State's vendor, the State Board of Elections (SBE) has maintained that all ballots and voting is safe.—
Bryant Reed,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
On Tuesday afternoon, the bear was found on a private property and shot by a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun, city official Ryuhei Irie said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
There are sedatives such as xylazine, street-named Tranq, an animal tranquilizer that can cause fleshrotting skin lesions and is frequently mixed with fentanyl.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anodyne.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anodyne. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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