drug

drug — noun

1. A substance, whether natural or created in a laboratory, that is used to treat o

1.nounA2
Definition

A substance, whether natural or created in a laboratory, that is used to treat or prevent a medical condition. Doctors prescribe drugs, and they can also be bought from a pharmacy for minor illnesses.

Example

The doctor prescribed a new drug to lower Eleni's blood pressure.

collocation: prescribe a drug / drug for [condition]

This drug is most effective when taken right after a meal.

passive: be taken + time specification

Common collocations
  • prescription drug
  • generic drug
  • prescribe a drug
  • take a drug
  • anti-cancer drug
  • drug treatment
  • drug therapy
Synonyms
  • medicine

    more general, often used for anything taken to treat illness; drug emphasises the chemical composition

  • medication

    more formal, commonly used by healthcare professionals; implies a prescribed treatment plan

  • remedy

    often suggests a natural or traditional treatment rather than a laboratory-made chemical

Antonyms
  • placebo

    a substance with no active medical ingredients, used in clinical trials for comparison

Grammar Patterns

[countable] drug

drug for [illness]

Usage Note

In this sense, drug is neutral and positive — it refers to a treatment for illness. Distinguish from sense 2 (RECREATIONAL), where drugs are taken for pleasure and may be illegal. The context of doctors, prescriptions, and pharmacies tells you which sense is intended.

Common Mistakes

I took a drug for my headache, and now I feel high.
I took a drug for my headache, and now the pain is gone.
The word 'drug' in a medical context does not mean it will make you feel high.
Drugs are bad for you.' (overgeneralisation)
Some drugs can have serious side effects, so always follow your doctor's advice.
Specify medical drugs when offering health advice.

2. A substance that people take for pleasure, to change how they feel mentally, to

2.nounB1
Definition

A substance that people take for pleasure, to change how they feel mentally, to do better at a sport or activity, or because they have become dependent on it. Many such drugs are illegal, and using them can be harmful to health and society.

Example

The police arrested Mert for selling drugs outside the school gates.

collocation: sell drugs

Some athletes turn to performance-enhancing drugs to gain an unfair advantage.

compound noun: performance-enhancing drugs

Common collocations
  • illicit drug
  • recreational drug
  • hard drug
  • soft drug
  • street drug
  • take drugs
  • use drugs
  • sell drugs
  • drug dealer
  • drug addict
  • drug abuse
  • drug overdose
  • on drugs
Synonyms
  • narcotic

    more specific; refers to addictive drugs that dull the senses, especially opioids; also a legal term

  • substance

    broader, often used in formal or clinical contexts ('substance abuse')

Grammar Patterns

[countable, usually plural] drugs

Usage Note

In this sense, drugs are almost always discussed in the context of addiction, crime, or health dangers. When people say 'drug problem' or 'drug addiction' without further context, they usually mean sense 2 rather than sense 1 (MEDICINE). Plural form is far more common than singular in this sense.

Common Mistakes

I took a drug for my fever.' (when you mean medicine)
I took some medicine for my fever.
Use 'medicine' for medical treatment to avoid the negative associations of 'drug'.
He does drugs every morning for his anxiety.
He takes medication every morning for his anxiety.
'Do drugs' strongly implies recreational/illegal use.

3. An activity or habit that someone enjoys so much that they spend almost all thei

3.nounB2
Definition

An activity or habit that someone enjoys so much that they spend almost all their time or money on it, and find it very difficult to stop.

Example

Video games have become a drug for Asher — he plays for ten hours every day.

figurative: be a drug for [someone]

Social media has become a drug for Yuki — she scrolls for hours and cannot stop.

figurative: be a drug for [someone]

Common collocations
  • be a drug for
  • become a drug for
  • like a drug
Synonyms
  • habit

    less intense; a habit can be broken, but a drug in this sense feels compulsive

  • addiction

    the condition itself rather than the activity; 'his gambling is a drug' vs 'his gambling is an addiction'

  • obsession

    focuses on the mental preoccupation rather than the compulsive behaviour

Grammar Patterns

[singular] be a drug for [person]

Usage Note

This is a figurative, informal sense. It is typically used in the pattern 'something is a drug for someone'. The activity is compared to an addictive substance. Common in journalism and casual conversation, but avoid in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

Coffee is my drug.' (unclear — could mean your medicine or your addiction)
Coffee has become a drug for me
I cannot start my day without it.' — The figurative sense needs context to be understood clearly.
Idioms

drug of choice

idiom

The substance or activity that a person prefers over all others, especially one they are addicted to.

In the 1990s, heroin was the drug of choice among young people in many European cities.

For Rodrigo, running marathons became his drug of choice after he stopped smoking.

on drugs

idiom

Under the influence of an illegal or recreational drug; behaving as if affected by such a substance.

The driver was acting strangely, and the police suspected he was on drugs.

You must be on drugs if you think that dangerous plan is a good idea.

drug — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Drugs (sense 2, RECREATIONAL) refers broadly to any natural or chemical substance taken for pleasure or to change one's state of mind. Narcotics is a narrower term that refers specifically to addictive drugs that dull the senses, especially opioids like heroin; it is also used in legal and police contexts. Substances is the most clinical and formal of the three — terms like 'substance abuse' or 'substance use disorder' are preferred in medical and social work settings, as they avoid the stigma of the word 'drugs', which some people find judgmental. Medication, by contrast, is the term for drugs in sense 1 (MEDICINE) — substances taken to treat illness. A person who uses 'substances' may not be seeking pleasure (they could be misusing prescription medication), whereas someone 'on drugs' in the recreational sense is typically seeking an intoxicating effect.

drugsnarcoticssubstancesmedication ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • drug abuse
  • drug addiction
  • drug dealer
  • drug overdose
  • drug test
  • drug trafficking
  • drug policy

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • on drugs
  • under the influence of drugs
  • off drugs

Etymology

Middle DutchOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'drug' entered English in the 14th century from Old French 'drogue', meaning a supply or a medicinal substance. The French word may have come from Middle Dutch 'droge vate', literally 'dry casks' — containers used to ship dried herbs and other medicinal supplies. Over time, the meaning shifted from the container to the contents, and later expanded to include chemicals used for non-medical, recreational purposes.