Anodyne — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈa-nə-ˌdīn/ an·o·dyne

Meaning & Definition of Anodyne

Anodyne (adjective)

  1. serving to alleviate pain
  2. not likely to offend or arouse tensions, innocuous

Anodyne (noun)

  1. something that soothes, calms, or comforts
  2. a drug that allays pain

Anodyne (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt

    "the otherwise anodyne comments sounded quite inflammatory when taken out of context"

    similar: benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe, white
    related: healthful, healthy, salubrious, wholesome, benignant, sound, trustworthy, gentle, gracious, mild, nonthreatening, painless, unobjectionable, noncorrosive, nondestructive, nonfatal, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpoisonous, nonpolluting, nontoxic, nonvenomous
    opposite: adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked
    near: poisonous, venomous, menacing, ominous, sinister, threatening, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, unsound, nasty, noisome, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, offensive, painful, scathing, wounding, deadly, fatal, lethal, ruinous, destructive, insidious, malignant, noxious, pestilent, polluted, tainted

Anodyne (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something (as a drug) that relieves pain

    "the dentist prescribed an anodyne after the root canal"

    similar: analgesic, anesthetic, painkiller
    related: sedative, tranquilizer, narcotic, opiate

  2. something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security

    "as an anodyne for the stress and superficiality of the modern world, there's nothing better than reading a literary classic of substance and insight"

    similar: anesthetic, narcotic, opiate
    related: security blanket, pacifier, palliative, hypnotic, sedative, soporific, tranquilizer

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Anodyne

The most common words with a similar meaning to Anodyne:

benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe, white, analgesic, anesthetic, painkiller, narcotic, opiate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Anodyne

Words with the opposite meaning of Anodyne:

adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked

Related Words for Anodyne

healthful, healthy, salubrious, wholesome, benignant, sound, trustworthy, gentle, gracious, mild, nonthreatening, painless, unobjectionable, noncorrosive, nondestructive, nonfatal, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpoisonous, nonpolluting, nontoxic, nonvenomous, sedative, tranquilizer, security blanket, pacifier, palliative, hypnotic, soporific

Near Antonyms of Anodyne

poisonous, venomous, menacing, ominous, sinister, threatening, hazardous, imperiling, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, unsound, nasty, noisome, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome, offensive, painful, scathing, wounding, deadly, fatal, lethal, ruinous, destructive, insidious, malignant

Origin & Etymology of Anodyne

borrowed from Latin anōdynus "allaying pain," borrowed from Greek anṓdynos "free from pain, causing no pain, harmless, allaying pain," from an- an- + -ōdynos, adjective derivative (with compositional lengthening) of odýnē "pain," of uncertain origin

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Anodyne

Frequently Asked Questions about Anodyne

What does "Anodyne" mean?

"Anodyne" means serving to alleviate pain. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: serving to alleviate pain. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Anodyne"?

Other words for "Anodyne" include benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe and white. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Anodyne" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Anodyne"?

There are 42 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Anodyne". Common alternatives include benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe, white, analgesic and anesthetic.

What is the opposite of "Anodyne"?

Antonyms of "Anodyne" include adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious and detrimental. Near antonyms include poisonous, venomous, menacing and ominous.

How do you use "Anodyne" in a sentence?

Examples of "Anodyne" in a sentence: "the otherwise anodyne comments sounded quite inflammatory when taken out of context"; "the dentist prescribed an anodyne after the root canal"; "as an anodyne for the stress and superficiality of the modern world, there's nothing better than reading a literary classic of substance and insight".

Is "Anodyne" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Anodyne" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Anodyne" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Anodyne" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Anodyne"?

"Anodyne" is pronounced /ˈa-nə-ˌdīn/ and divided into syllables as an·o·dyne.