drug

1 of 3

noun

plural drugs
1
a
: a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication
b according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(1)
: a substance recognized in an official pharmacopoeia or formulary (see formulary sense 3)
(2)
: a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease
prescription drugs
drugs for treating high blood pressure
(3)
: a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body
(4)
: a substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device
2
: something and often an illegal substance that causes addiction, habituation (see habituation sense 2b), or a marked change in consciousness
keeping teens off drugs
heroin and other hard drugs
3
: a commodity that is not salable or for which there is no demand (see demand entry 1 sense 3a)
used in the phrase drug on the market
4
obsolete : a substance used in dyeing or chemical operations

drug

2 of 3

verb

drugged; drugging; drugs

transitive verb

1
: to affect (a person or animal) with a drug (see drug entry 1)
especially : to stupefy (someone) by an intoxicating drug
looks like he's been drugged
2
: to administer a drug to (a person or animal)
drugged against pain
3
: to lull or stupefy (someone) as if with a drug
… the kind of overly familiar music that delights most audiences and drugs most criticsTime
4
: to add an illicit or intoxicating drug to (food or drink) usually surreptitiously
There's also very little violence in the movie. … The kidnapping is done by drugging the victim's drink.Drew Zahn

intransitive verb

: to take drugs especially for the intoxicating effect

drug

3 of 3

dialectal past tense of drag

Examples of drug in a Sentence

Noun a new drug used to treat people with high blood pressure an experimental drug for the treatment of AIDS Have you ever taken any illegal drugs? I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. Verb He looks like he's been drugged. Someone could have drugged your drink.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The drug is used to treat angina, a condition that causes severe pain in the chest. Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 The drug can cause blackouts, memory loss and respiratory arrest. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2024 No drugs were found, but Hartmann took an white envelope containing $830 from the vehicle. Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 The charges include two counts of first-degree murder related to witness tampering and two counts of murder in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 High demand has led to drug shortages, making weight loss medications like tirzepatide and semaglutide hard to find for the average patient. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Despite previous concerns about the city's homelessness and drug use, Benioff's comments during Salesforce's quarterly earnings call underscore the city's potential as a tech hub. Soulaima Gourani, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 The president has faced criticism for not aggressively pursuing drug cartels like his predecessors. The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2024 Best director honors went to Dominican filmmaker Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias for Pepe, an unclassifiable mash-up of documentary and fiction about a hippo brought to Colombia by drug king Pablo Escobar. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
That includes free tests – that come in the shape of cards – to test if your drink was drugged or spiked, and there will be more lifeguards and jet ski patrols on the beaches, as well as accessible Narcan – an opioid-overdose antidote – in each hotel and by lifeguards on the beach. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024 Eight men were accused last year of drugging and robbing roughly three dozen New York City bar and nightclub goers, leading to the deaths of at least seven people. Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 People who drug others use substances that are most readily available to them, Metz said. Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2024 The November claim was made by an unnamed female musician who said Portnow had drugged and assaulted her in 2018. Justin Curto, Vulture, 2 Feb. 2024 An autopsy determined he had been drugged with clonazepam, which, combined with alcohol, had caused his death. Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024 The guests, two women from Kentucky, said they were drugged and raped while ashore on the island of Grand Bahama. Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 That's where lifelong friends Shearer and Dobson, from Kentucky, were allegedly drugged with a laced cocktail and attacked by two resort staff members, who have since been fired and arrested. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Feb. 2024 Additionally, Metz said Denver Health tests for 12 of the more common drugging substances but that does not account for every substance someone could use to drug a victim. Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English drogge

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1667, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of drug was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near drug

Cite this Entry

“Drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drug. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drug

1 of 2 noun
1
: a substance used as a medicine or in making medicines
2
: something for which there is no demand
used in the phrase drug on the market
3
: a usually illegal substance (as heroin, LSD, or cocaine) that affects bodily activities often in a harmful way and is taken for other than medical reasons

drug

2 of 2 verb
drugged; drugging
1
: to affect or treat with a drug
especially : to make dull or numb by a narcotic drug
2
: to lull or make dull or numb as if with a drug

Medical Definition

drug

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication
b according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(1)
: a substance recognized in an official pharmacopoeia or formulary
(2)
: a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease
(3)
: a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body
(4)
: a substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device
2
: something and often an illicit substance that causes addiction, habituation, or a marked change in consciousness

drug

2 of 2 verb
drugged; drugging

transitive verb

1
: to affect (a person or animal) with a drug (see drug entry 1)
especially : to stupefy (someone) by an intoxicating drug
2
: to administer a drug to (a person or animal)

intransitive verb

: to take drugs especially for the intoxicating effect

More from Merriam-Webster on drug

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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