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
Morris, in response to that warning, argued CANARX was not misleading patients, but agreed for the company to stop importing drugs that need to be administered by a doctor. — Scott Zamost, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026 Officials at several German prisons were quick to tell the New York group that correctional officers often still have to deal with things like violence between prisoners and issues with drug overdoses. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 11 Nov. 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
  • Fatima acknowledged her son takes medication for his mental health issues and has been hospitalized a couple of times.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Held without charge, al-Sakani says he was subjected to harsh conditions, including sleep deprivation, inadequate medical care and the withholding of medication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of medication
Verb
  • In 2024, 93% of US 3-year-olds had received at least one MMR dose, according to data from the CDC’s National Immunization Surveys, below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease.
    — Katherine Dillinger, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The first followed the longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive their first hepatitis B vaccine dose shortly after birth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of dose
Noun
  • Flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces for as long as two days and on soft materials such as pillows for about 12 hours, according to Susan Werner, MD, a family medicine provider at Geisinger Nanticoke.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Dr Amir Firouzjaei, a general practitioner and traditional Chinese medicine expert who has lived in Dubai for three years, believes the movement taps into something deeper.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of medicine
Noun
  • Experts share the habits and triggers to avoid, plus the remedies that could help alleviate a persistent hack following a respiratory infection.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The remedies essentially treated the symptoms and not the cause, like putting a cover on a leaking faucet.
    — Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of remedy
Noun
  • Dancing as a cure Whether or not dancing works to sweat out a toxic venom, studies do show that dancing helps reduce stress and increases levels of serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate mood, sleep, and digestion.
    — Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Is the cure for cancer sitting on a cold concrete floor at family re-location center at the southern border or in an ICE detention center?
    — Jay Sloves, Hartford Courant, 6 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on drug

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drug

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of impertinent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All