1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

drug 1 of 2

noun

ˈdrəg How to pronounce drug (audio)
Definition of drugnext
as in medication
a substance or preparation used to treat disease prescribed a drug to treat the bacterial infection

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

drug

2 of 2

verb

as in to dose

Related 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 drug
Noun
Officials confirmed this week that Hayden Panettiere died from the toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs, including a generic version of Xanax. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 Actor Hayden Panettiere’s death was ruled an accident caused by the toxic effects of multiple drugs, including fentanyl. — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
The three-part documentary series tells the story of three brothers who were recently convicted of preying on women for more than a decade, masquerading as party boys while drugging and raping them from the Hamptons to Aspen. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 May 2026 For most of the nearly 50 years since KRAS was first discovered, scientists struggled to effectively drug the cancer protein. — Angus Chen, STAT, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drug
  1. medication
  2. dose
  3. medicine
  4. remedy
  5. cure
  6. medicinal
Noun
  • The issue roiled French politics for years before lawmakers recently approved legislation allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Doctors may recommend a combination of lifestyle changes, breathing devices, medications, and sometimes surgery.
    — Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of medication
Verb
  • The company said initial results showed the chips could withstand a total ionizing radiation dose greater than what they would be expected to receive during a five-year space mission.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Presley shared footage before a ibogaine flood dose in March 2026.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of dose
Noun
  • The step is expected to radically increase production of the rare isotopes that will enable the next century of innovation in medicine and energy.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Unfortunately, Illinois Medicaid does not cover obesity medicines, putting some of the most effective treatments available out of reach for nearly 3 million Illinois residents who also deserve equitable care.
    — Disha Narang, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of medicine
Noun
  • Being unable to sell may preserve ownership, which can affect the statutory remedy available.
    — Ethan Stone, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • One possible remedy would be to make it so that glasses detect their location and automatically disable recording in sensitive areas like playgrounds and locker rooms.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of remedy
Noun
  • Dietitians describe arugula as a supportive habit, not a cure for digestive issues.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
  • If Bryan truly was ready to be a parent, and to put others above himself, the best way to demonstrate that fact would be to recognize that a cure is a good thing for the world his kid will inherit.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of cure
Noun
  • Others have a more functional endeavor, foraging for food or medicinals.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of medicinal

Browse Nearby Words

drudging
drug
drugged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drug. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on drug

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drug

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fungible

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All