an·es·thet·ic
ˌa-nəs-ˈthe-tik 
1
: of, relating to, or capable of producing anesthesia
2
: lacking awareness or sensitivity
was anesthetic to their feelings
1
: a substance that produces anesthesia
2
: something that brings relief : palliative
Examples of anesthetic in a Sentence
Noun
The doctor gave him the stitches without an anesthetic.
the dentist waited until the anesthetic took effect
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
On April 3, he was called to administer anesthetic shots for horses at a property located about 60 miles west of Las Vegas, Shawna Gonzalez, the property owner, told KLAS' 8 News Now.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 May 2025
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 May 2025
Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that stops pain by blocking the signals at the nerve endings in the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anesthetic
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Adjective
When Dina refuses an anesthetic slug of alcohol during the proceedings, Jesse gets the wind up.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
On April 3, he was called to administer anesthetic shots for horses at a property located about 60 miles west of Las Vegas, Shawna Gonzalez, the property owner, told KLAS' 8 News Now.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 May 2025
Noun
It’s been used as an anesthetic on occasion since the 1950s, says Robert Dickinson, a senior lecturer in medicine at Imperial College London.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 May 2025
Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that stops pain by blocking the signals at the nerve endings in the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anesthetic
Cite this Entry
“Anesthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anesthetic. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anesthetic
1 of 2 adjective
an·es·thet·ic
ˌan-əs-ˈthet-ik
: of, relating to, or capable of producing anesthesia
anesthetic
2 of 2 noun
: a substance that produces anesthesia in part or all of the body
Medical Definition
anesthetic
1 of 2 adjective
an·es·thet·ic
variants
or chiefly British anaesthetic
1
: capable of producing anesthesia
anesthetic agents
2
: of, relating to, or caused by anesthesia
an anesthetic effect
anesthetic symptoms
anesthetic
2 of 2 noun
variants
or chiefly British anaesthetic
: a substance that produces anesthesia
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