WordGarden.iodrug
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /drˈʌɡ/
US
- /ˈdrəɡ/
Meanings
Noun
a medicine or other substance used to treat, prevent, or affect a medical condition
an illegal, controlled, or recreational psychoactive substance
Verb
to give someone or something a drug, medication, or sedative
to put a drug in someone's food or drink, especially to incapacitate them
a nonstandard past-tense form of drag, meaning pulled along a surface
Beyond the definition
The word "drug" can mean more than many people first think. It can mean a medicine used to treat or prevent illness, like an antibiotic or painkiller. It can also mean any substance that changes how your body or mind works, including caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine. In everyday conversation, though, people often use "drug" to mean an illegal or harmful substance. So a doctor may prescribe a drug, while the news may report on the illegal drug trade; the same word is being used in different ways.
The word "drug" has several meanings, so context matters a lot. In one common sense, it means a medicine or chemical used to treat, prevent, or study disease. A doctor may prescribe a drug, a pharmacist may dispense it, and researchers may test it in a drug trial. In these settings, people also often say "medicine," "medication," or "pharmaceutical."
In a broader sense, a drug is any substance that changes the way the body or mind works. By that definition, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and many prescription medicines are all drugs because they have chemical effects on the body. This is a scientific or general-use meaning, and it is wider than the way the word is often used in daily speech.
In everyday conversation, however, "drug" often points to an illegal substance, especially one linked to addiction, crime, or serious harm. That is why people speak about drug dealers, drug trafficking, or drug abuse. In this use, the word may suggest danger or social problems rather than medical treatment.
The border between these meanings is not always sharp. Some drugs are legal, some are illegal, some help people heal, and some are misused and cause damage. Because of this, the word can sound neutral in a hospital, technical in science, or negative in a crime report. Understanding the context helps you know whether "drug" means a useful medicine, a body-changing substance in general, or an illegal and dangerous one.
Examples
- 1
Medical treatment
The doctor gave her a drug to help with the pain.
- 2
Side effects
This drug can make you sleepy, so take it before bed.
- 3
Prescription
You need a prescription to get this drug.
- 4
Drug research
Researchers are developing a new drug for diabetes.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Crime context
He was arrested for selling drugs.
- 6
Drug testing
She was suspended after failing a drug test.
- 7
Illegal drug use
His friends wondered if he was on drugs because he was acting so strangely.
- Phrasebe on drugs
be affected by drugs, especially illegal ones
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- prescription drug
- illegal drug
- drug abuse
- drug interaction
Word family
Explore
- addiction
- controlled substance
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- drugnounverb
Forms
- drugspluralnounverb
- druggedpast tenseverbnoun
- drugging-ing formverbnoun