painkiller

painkiller — noun

1. a medicine that you take to make a headache, sore back, or other body pain less

1.nounB1
Definition

a medicine that you take to make a headache, sore back, or other body pain less strong or to stop it for a time.

Example

Nina took a painkiller after banging her knee on the bus step.

pattern: take a painkiller

The dentist gave Omar a painkiller when his jaw still hurt.

pattern: give someone a painkiller

Common collocations
  • take a painkiller
  • give someone a painkiller
  • strong painkiller
  • mild painkiller
  • painkiller for a headache
Synonyms
  • pain medicine

    a common everyday term that is slightly broader and can include liquids or powders

  • analgesic

    the medical or pharmacy term, more formal than painkiller

  • tablet

    only fits when the medicine is in pill form

  • medicine

    very broad and does not specifically suggest relief from pain

Grammar Patterns

take a painkiller

strong/mild painkiller

painkiller for + headache/back pain

Usage Note

Usually countable, especially after verbs like 'take', 'give', 'need', and 'keep'. Common reasons for using one include headaches, tooth pain, back pain, and sore muscles.

Common Mistakes

I drank a painkiller after the game.
I took a painkiller after the game.
With tablets or similar medicine, English usually says 'take', not 'drink'.
The doctor gave me painkiller.
The doctor gave me a painkiller.
This noun is usually countable when you mean one tablet or dose.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Painkiller is the common everyday word for medicine taken to reduce pain. Pain medicine is slightly broader and can include liquids, powders, or stronger hospital drugs, so it is less tied to one pill. Analgesic is the medical or pharmacy term, and it appears more in labels, instructions, or professional talk than in ordinary conversation. Tablet only works when the medicine is in pill form, so it cannot replace painkiller in every situation. Use painkiller when the main point is relief from pain in normal speech. Compare: I took a painkiller for my toothache. The nurse checked which analgesic the patient had already received.

painkiller ↗pain medicineanalgesictablet ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • strong painkiller
  • mild painkiller
  • prescription painkiller

Phrases

  • take a painkiller
  • give someone a painkiller
  • keep painkillers at home

Prepositions

  • painkiller for

Etymology

English

Painkiller is a modern English compound built from pain and killer. The idea is not that it kills a person, but that it 'kills' or stops the pain. Because the meaning comes directly from its two parts, learners can often understand it even when they meet it for the first time.