1.
painkiller; pain reliever; analgesic
A medicine or drug that reduces or eliminates pain. The most common everyday word for over-the-counter and prescription pain medication.
痛み止めを飲んだ。
I took a painkiller.
頭痛がひどいので痛み止めをください。
I have a bad headache, so please give me a painkiller.
医者に痛み止めを処方してもらった。
I had the doctor prescribe me a painkiller.
痛み止めが切れて、また歯が痛くなってきた。
The painkiller wore off, and my tooth started hurting again.
Composed of 痛み (pain, from the verb 痛む) and 止め (stopping, from the verb 止める), with the voicing change と→ど. Literally "pain-stopper." This is the standard everyday term for painkillers of any kind — the word learners are most likely to need at a pharmacy or doctor's office.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 痛み止めを飲む: to take a painkiller
- 痛み止めを処方する: to prescribe a painkiller
- 痛み止めが効く: the painkiller takes effect
- 痛み止めが切れる: the painkiller wears off
- 市販の痛み止め: over-the-counter painkiller
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 鎮痛剤: analgesic — the more formal/medical term for the same thing
- 解熱鎮痛剤: antipyretic analgesic — a fever reducer that also relieves pain
- 湿布: compress/patch — a topical pain relief method rather than oral medication