drug
HighFormal in medical context; informal to neutral when referring to recreational/illegal substances.
Definition
Meaning
A substance used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose disease, or to alter physical or mental state.
A substance taken for its psychoactive effects, especially one that is addictive or illegal; any chemical substance that affects an organism's physiology.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is context-sensitive: in a medical setting, it is neutral and professional; in legal/policing contexts, it often implies illegality; in pharmacology, it is a technical term. Can be pejorative when referring to recreational use.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor differences in collocational frequency. 'Pharmacy'/'Chemist's' contexts affect phrasing. 'Medication' is often preferred in AmE for prescribed substances to avoid ambiguity with illicit drugs.
Connotations
Stronger association with the 'war on drugs' and illicit substances in AmE. In BrE, the medical sense might be slightly more primary, though both senses are strong.
Frequency
Both common. 'Medication' or 'medicine' is a frequent synonym in both to avoid negative connotations of 'drug'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
administer a drug to [someone]prescribe a drug for [a condition]be on drugstake drugstest positive for drugstreat with a drugVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a drug on the market (something overabundant and unsellable)”
- “to be a gateway drug”
- “to be hooked on drugs”
- “to go cold turkey (to quit drugs abruptly)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to the pharmaceutical industry: 'The company specializes in biologic drugs.'
Academic
In medical research: 'The drug showed significant efficacy in Phase III trials.'
Everyday
Discussing health or news: 'The doctor changed my drug.' or 'He was arrested for drug possession.'
Technical
In pharmacology: 'The drug exhibits high protein binding and hepatic metabolism.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The new drug was available on the NHS within months.
- He was done for possession of a Class A drug.
- The drug has some unpleasant side-effects.
American English
- The FDA approved the drug for wider use.
- The war on drugs has been a costly policy.
- She's on medication, not 'street drugs'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The doctor gave me a drug for my infection.
- Drugs can be dangerous.
- This drug is very effective against malaria.
- He was addicted to drugs for many years.
- The government has introduced a new policy to combat drug trafficking across the border.
- The drug's patent expires next year, allowing for generic versions.
- Pharmacogenomics aims to tailor drug therapies to individual genetic profiles.
- The documentary explored the socio-economic factors fueling the drug trade in the region.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'rug' you might lie on if you feel ill after taking a strong drug. Drug -> Rug.
Conceptual Metaphor
DRUGS ARE INVADERS (battling an infection), DRUGS ARE TOOLS (for fixing the body), DRUGS ARE A PRISON (addiction).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with 'друг' (friend).
- Confusion between 'drug' (medicine/illegal substance) and 'medicine' (often more positive connotation).
- Overuse of 'drug' when 'medicine' or 'medication' is more appropriate in neutral/medical contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'drugs' to mean only illegal substances (ignoring medical sense).
- Incorrect: 'I take a drug for headache.' (Better: 'I take medication for a headache.')
- Confusing 'drug' (n.) with 'drag' (v.).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'drug' LEAST likely to have a negative connotation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Drug' is the broadest term, covering all substances used in treatment or recreation. 'Medicine' and 'medication' almost always refer to legal, therapeutic substances, with 'medication' being more formal and common in healthcare.
It is grammatically correct but often stylistically poor due to potential ambiguity. 'I take medication' or 'I'm on a prescription drug' is clearer and avoids unwanted associations with illegal drugs.
Yes, but it is rare in everyday speech. It means to administer a drug, often a sedative, to someone (e.g., 'He was drugged and robbed.'). The past participle 'drugged' is more common (feeling drugged).
Its meaning expanded from the original 'dry substance' (from Old French 'drogue') used in pharmacies to mean any medicinal ingredient, then to any psychoactive substance, and finally specializing to often mean illicit psychoactive substances in the 20th century.
Collections
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Crime and Justice
B1 · 46 words · Vocabulary for law, crime and the justice system.
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