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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
Acknowledging its decision to err on the side of caution, Anthropic said Fable 5’s safety-first approach might incorrectly flag harmless requests as being suspicious for less than 5% of queries.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
-
What felt like harmless office culture back then has evolved into a much broader shift in how people approach work.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
11 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
-
Investigators found more than 92 pounds of narcotics, including cocaine, MDMA, Xanax and marijuana — marking the largest drug seizure in Miami Gardens Police Department history, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said in a statement.—
Sofia Saric
June 10,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
-
The Eastern Pacific and Caribbean remain major corridors for narcotics trafficking, with cartels frequently using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the United States and Central America.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Most economists viewed the report as relatively benign and a virtual all-clear signal for the Fed to chop rates in September.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Not all the conversations, though, were as benign as Clifford’s.—
Iain Martin,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Partly due to this belief, tramadol use has skyrocketed in recent years, while evidence is growing about the drug’s addiction risk and its effectiveness as an analgesic.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Tylenol falls under the umbrella of two other medication classes: analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers), says Dr. Anureet Walia, a pain management specialist with UI Health Care.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
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
-
Offering 99 percent accuracy for five different drugs, this drug test has exceptional sensitivity for detecting opiates in urine.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Topics include financial literacy and legal business structures to recipe development and safe food handling.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The bear was sedated with a tranquilizer.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anodyne.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anodyne. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
