painkiller

noun

pain·​kill·​er ˈpān-ˌki-lər 

variants or less commonly pain-killer

: something (such as a drug) that relieves pain

pain-killing

ˈpān-ˌki-liŋ 

adjective

or painkilling

Synonyms

• analgesic
• anesthetic
• anodyne

Examples of painkiller in a Sentence

I took some over-the-counter painkillers for my headache.

after her oral surgery, she was given a prescription for a mild painkiller

Recent Examples on the Web

Nicky turned to illicit painkillers to deal with the torment of her endometriosis and overdosed after taking pills laced with fentanyl. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024

Freeman limped his way through the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres and the NLCS against the Mets, needing five to six hours of daily physical therapy treatments and plenty of painkillers just to take the field. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

The pressure to perform plus residual physical ailments means illicit painkillers are a necessity, however. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2024

Then she’s brought to the hospital and probably given some sort of painkiller. —David Lachapelle, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

painkiller

noun

pain·​kill·​er ˈpān-ˌkil-ər 

: something (as a drug) that relieves pain

painkilling

-iŋ 

adjective

Medical Definition

painkiller

noun

pain·​kill·​er -ˌkil-ər 

: something (as a drug) that relieves pain

painkilling

-iŋ 

adjective