Join Us On

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Spanish Central

Browse Dictionary Browse Thesaurus

Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android

Word of the Day

Blog: Words at Play

Dictionary

analgesic

noun an·al·ge·sic \ˌa-n^əl-ˈjē-zik, -sik\

medical : a drug that relieves pain

Full Definition of ANALGESIC

: an agent for producing analgesia

— analgesic adjective

See analgesic defined for English-language learners

ADVERTISEMENT

First Known Use of ANALGESIC

1875

Related to ANALGESIC

Synonyms: painkiller, anesthetic, anodyne

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Learn More About ANALGESIC

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "analgesic"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "analgesic"

Nglish: Translation of "analgesic" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "analgesic" for Arabic speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "analgesic"

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: analgesic balmPrevious Word in the Dictionary: analgesiaAll Words Near: analgesic

ADVERTISEMENT

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up analgesic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

View Seen & Heard Highlights from Around the Site

Test Your Vocabulary!

10 Charming Words for Nasty People

Put-downs with flair

When "Literally" isn't, well, literal

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

Know what this is?

Test your vocab with our fun, fast game

Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears

Join Us

Merriam-Webster
on Facebook

Merriam-Webster
on Twitter

Bookstore: Digital and Print

Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.

See All

Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries

© Merriam-Webster, Incorporated