anodyne

/ˌænəˈdaɪn/

Other forms: anodynes

When your back is killing you from helping your friend move furniture into his new apartment, you need to take an anodyne, a painkiller.

An anodyne doesn’t have to be actual medicine. If the pure joy of helping your friend is soothing enough to make you forget your aching back, that counts as an anodyne too (though perhaps an unlikely one). Anodyne can also be used as an adjective to describe something that relieves pain, or is at least inoffensive. When you’re stressed out or unhappy, try looking at anodyne pictures of kittens. Er, unless you had a bad experience with a cat once.

Definitions of anodyne

1. adjective

   capable of relieving pain
   “the anodyne properties of certain drugs”

   synonyms: analgesic, analgetic

   moderating

   lessening in intensity or strength
2. noun

   a medicine used to relieve pain
   synonyms: analgesic, pain pill, painkiller

   types:

   Anacin III, Datril, Panadol, Phenaphen, Tempra, Tylenol, acetaminophen

   an analgesic for mild pain but not for inflammation; also used as an antipyretic; (Datril, Tylenol, Panadol, Phenaphen, Tempra, and Anacin III are trademarks of brands of acetaminophen tablets)

   acetanilid, acetanilide, phenylacetamide

   a white crystalline compound used as an analgesic and also as an antipyretic

   acetophenetidin, acetphenetidin, phenacetin

   a white crystalline compound used as an analgesic and also as an antipyretic

   amidopyrine, aminopyrine

   a white crystalline substance used as an analgesic and antipyretic

   Bayer, Empirin, St. Joseph, acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin

   the acetylated derivative of salicylic acid; used as an analgesic anti-inflammatory drug (trade names Bayer, Empirin, and St. Joseph) usually taken in tablet form; used as an antipyretic; slows clotting of the blood by poisoning platelets

   codeine

   derivative of opium; used as an antitussive (to relieve coughing) and an analgesic (to relieve pain)

   colchicine

   an analgesic drug derived from the saffron plant and used to treat gout

   Fentanyl, Sublimaze

   trade names of a narcotic analgesic that can be inhaled and that acts on the central nervous system and may become addictive; used as a veterinary anesthetic and with other drugs before, during, and after surgery; also used as a nonlethal gas to incapacitate people in hostage situations; also abused as a recreational drug

   Dilaudid, hydromorphone, hydromorphone hydrochloride

   a narcotic analgesic (trade name Dilaudid) used to treat moderate to severe pain

   morphia, morphine

   an alkaloid narcotic drug extracted from opium; a powerful, habit-forming narcotic used to relieve pain

   Talwin, pentazocine

   analgesic drug (trade name Talwin) that is less addictive than morphine

   Pyridium, phenazopyridine

   analgesic (trade name Pyridium) used to treat urinary tract infections

   Darvon, propoxyphene, propoxyphene hydrochloride

   a mildly narcotic analgesic drug (trade name Darvon) related to methadone but less addictive

   sodium salicylate

   a crystalline salt used as an analgesic and antipyretic

   apomorphine

   a morphine derivative that is not as strong as morphine; used as an emetic and in small doses as a sedative

   aspirin powder, headache powder

   a powdered form of aspirin

   Bufferin, buffered aspirin

   aspirin coated with a substance capable of neutralizing acid (trade name Bufferin)

   enteric-coated aspirin

   aspirin that is treated to pass through the stomach unaltered and to dissolve in the intestines

   type of:

   medicament, medication, medicinal drug, medicine

   (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease
3. adjective

   not causing disapproval
   synonyms: innocuous, unobjectionable

   inoffensive

   giving no offense