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opiate

opiate

30 7.2
A drug from opium used to relieve pain and make someone sleep
  • noun
  • /ˈoʊpiˌeɪt/
  • NSFW
: opiáceo
  • So, you know, the opiates are an issue that to me is a chronic medical disease when someone's suffering from opiate and substance use disorder.
  • Opiate use
  • opiate-type pain relievers
  • opiate pain

This was at the beginning of the whole opiate epidemic, right?

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Examples

  • Sadly, we're seeing the terrible cycle play out on a larger societal level with the opiate epidemic.

  • There was no evidence of aspirin, paracetamol or indeed any opiate based painkillers.

  • You gave him a strong opiate injection.

  • By the outbreak of the First World War, two opposing views on opiate use had emerged.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The one exception is opiate substitution for heroin addicts; such programs work, and people stay with them.

    Academic text (2011)
  • A trained dog is deployed during a traffic stop, looking for evidence of prescription-strength opiates.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The doctor prescribed an opiate to help manage her chronic pain.

  • During surgery, the patient received an opiate to ensure he felt no discomfort.

  • Many people rely on opiates for relief from severe pain after an injury.

Synonyms

drug
vsopiate
  • NSFW
∞ 1.9

A medicine or chemical that treats illness and sometimes changes how someone feels

is a specific class of medicines that contain poppy sap derivatives
heroin
vsopiate
  • NSFW
343 6.6

A strong illegal drug made from morphine that people easily become addicted to

is focused on drugs from poppy sap rather than broader opioid types
narcotic
vsopiate
  • NSFW
155 6.6

A strong drug used for severe pain that can make a person numb and cause addiction

is narrower and refers only to drugs made from poppy sap for pain
morphine
vsopiate
  • NSFW
125 4.9

A very strong pain medicine for severe pain that can cause addiction

is any drug that contains poppy sap or its derivatives
painkiller
vsopiate
92 2.6

Medicine you take to reduce pain

is narrower meaning specifically drugs made from poppy sap or derivatives
opium
vsopiate
  • NSFW
59 6.9

A strong drug from poppy sap used for pain that often makes people addicted

is any drug made from poppy sap derivatives used for pain relief
methadone
vsopiate
  • NSFW
44 5.6

A medicine that treats pain and helps people stop using heroin

is focused on naturally derived poppy sap drugs for pain or sleep
fentanyl
vsopiate
  • NSFW
35 7.9

A very strong man-made pain medicine used in hospitals that can make people addicted or cause overdose

is about drugs that must contain poppy sap or its direct derivatives
oxy
vsopiate
  • NSFW
20 9.9

A strong prescription pain medicine often causing addiction

is the formal classification for drugs derived from poppy sap
opioid
vsopiate
  • NSFW
19 5.1

A drug that eases pain by acting on the body's pain system and can cause addiction

is limited to drugs directly derived from poppy sap rather than synthetics
oxycodone
vsopiate
  • Specialized
13 6.1

A strong pain medicine a doctor gives to relieve moderate to severe pain

is restricted to drugs from poppy sap derivatives rather than other opioids
synthetic heroin
vsopiate
  • NSFW
2 7.2

A man-made drug like morphine that helps people addicted to heroin avoid withdrawal symptoms

is limited to drugs that contain poppy sap or its natural derivatives
diacetylmorphine
vsopiate
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A strong illegal drug made from the pain medicine morphine that causes heavy addiction

is any drug originating from poppy sap rather than synthetic ones

Antonyms

stimulant
  • Specialized
28 4.9

A drug that makes the body and mind more active for a short time

How Pain-Relieving

opiate
  • NSFW
30 7.2
painkiller
92 2.6
palliative
  • Specialized
1 7.7
analgesic
  • Specialized
2 6.2

Surface Forms

opiate singular
opiates plural

Morphology

opiate = opium (transparent) = opi + ate

The noun denotes something derived from or related to opium and is directly formed by the combining stem 'opi-' plus the suffix '-ate'.

Etymology

Opiate comes from opium, the 'juice' taken from the poppy plant that long ago people used to ease pain and bring sleep. So an opiate is a drug made from opium that helps relieve pain or makes someone sleepy.