鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく)

ちんつうやく
noun
painkiller; analgesic
1. painkiller; analgesic; pain-relieving medication
Medication used to relieve or reduce pain. A general medical term covering both over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers.
鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく)を飲(の)んだ。
I took a painkiller.
頭痛(ずつう)がひどいので鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく)をください。
I have a bad headache, so please give me some painkillers.
鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく)の飲(の)みすぎは胃(い)に負担(ふたん)がかかるので注意(ちゅうい)が必要(ひつよう)だ。
Taking too many painkillers puts a strain on the stomach, so caution is needed.

A compound of 鎮痛(ちんつう) (pain relief) and 薬(やく) (medicine). This is the standard medical/formal term for painkillers.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく)を服用(ふくよう)する: to take painkillers (formal)
  • 鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく)を処方(しょほう)する: to prescribe painkillers
  • 市販(しはん)の鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく): over-the-counter painkillers

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 鎮痛剤(ちんつうざい): painkiller — virtually synonymous; 剤(ざい) and 薬(やく) are interchangeable here
  • 痛(いた)み止(ど)め: painkiller — the everyday, colloquial term most commonly used in conversation

NOTE:
In casual speech, 痛(いた)み止(ど)め is far more common. 鎮痛薬(ちんつうやく) tends to appear in medical contexts, product packaging, and written materials.

general
Added 2026.4.4 7:08
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