anodyne

[ an-uh-dahyn ]
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noun
  1. a medicine that relieves or allays pain.

  2. anything that relieves distress or pain: The music was an anodyne to his grief.

adjective
  1. relieving pain: a book detailing the anodyne properties of certain plants.

  2. soothing to the mind or feelings: the anodyne effects of a month's vacation.

  1. weakened and made bland, as to avoid harm or controversy: anodyne explanations that shelter children from the brutal truth.

Origin of anodyne

1
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin anōdynus, from Greek anṓdynos “free from pain, soothing pain,” equivalent to an- + ōdyn- (stem of odýnē “pain,” with lengthening of o ) + -os adjective suffix; cf. an-1, -odynia

Other words from anodyne

  • an·o·dyn·ic [an-uh-din-ik], /ˌæn əˈdɪn ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby anodyne

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How to use anodyne in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for anodyne

anodyne

/ (ˈænəˌdaɪn) /


noun
  1. a drug that relieves pain; analgesic

  2. anything that alleviates mental distress

adjective
  1. capable of relieving pain or distress

Origin of anodyne

1
C16: from Latin anōdynus, from Greek anōdunos painless, from an- + odunē pain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012