26984 words

drug

9 definitions • 24 examples
1
any natural or artificially made chemical that is used as a medicine:

Examples:

anti-cancer/fertility/pain-killing drugs
prescription drug We may need to try a prescription drug to treat your migraines if regular paracetamol is not working.
take a drug He takes several drugs for his condition.
Are you currently taking any drugs?
drug therapy
2
any natural or artificially made chemical that is taken for pleasure, to improve someone's performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it:

Examples:

drug addict His father was a drug addict.
drug addiction She was in treatment for drug addiction.
drug abuse She has a history of drug abuse.
drug overdose His son died of a drug overdose.
on drugs She began to suspect that her son was on drugs.
take drugs She didn't drink or take drugs.
do drugs informal They don't drink, smoke, or do drugs.
3
any activity that you cannot stop doing:

Examples:

Work is a drug for him.
4
to give a person or animal a chemical that causes them to lose feeling, change their behaviour, or become unconscious:

Examples:

The killer confessed that he often drugged his victims before he killed them.
He admitted to drugging horses during his racing career.
She was heavily drugged to ease the pain.
be drugged up to the eyeballs UK informal We visited her in hospital but she was drugged up to the eyeballs (= had been given a lot of drugs) and I don't think she even knew we were there.
5
any chemical that is used as a medicine:

Examples:

over-the-counter/prescription drugs
6
a chemical or other substance that is illegally used, sometimes to improve performance in an activity or because a person cannot stop using it
7
to give a person or animal a chemical that causes a loss of feeling or the condition of being unconscious:

Examples:

He couldn’t talk to us because he had been drugged.
8
a natural or artificially made substance that is used as a medicine:

Examples:

an anti-cancer drug
The state is grappling for ways to curb rising drug costs in its $1 billion Medicaid drug budget.
9
a natural or artificially made substance, especially one that is illegal, which is taken for pleasure, to improve performance in an activity, or because someone is addicted (= cannot stop taking it):

Examples:

a banned/illegal drug
take/abuse drugs He admitted abusing drugs and alcohol his entire adult life before ending up in jail.

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