The convicted drug dealer was willing to comply with the authorities to have his death sentence reduced to a life sentence.
Source: tatoeba (1934)
Drug
Synonyms for "drug" (252 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (51)
Noun(11 words)
administeradminister pharmacologic agentalkaloidantibioticchloroformingclinorilcocculuscolchicinecompoundcoricidincuprimine
adrenalinaloesammonium carbonateamphetamineamphetamine sulphateanalgesicanestheticanesthetizeanointantidepressantantidotearticlearticle of commercearticle of merchandisebalmbalsambedazebelladonnabenumbbenzedrine
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (75)
Noun(21 words)
diazoxidedopesdopingdoping agentdoxydrenchesdruggingetodolacexpose to drugfortazgentamicinibuprofenillegalillicitillicit substanceimodiuminsulinintoxicantjiggerkanamycin
Show 1 more word
Verb(6 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (126)
lull to sleepmagnetizemateria medicamedicamentmedicatemedicationmedicinalmedicinal herbsmedicinemesmerizemethamphetamine hydrochloridemethedrinemickey finnmixturenarcoticnarcotizenonprescription drugnumbobtundofficinal
Show 60 more words
oilopiatepain killerpain-killerpalsypanaceaparalyzepatent medicinepharmaceuticalpharmaconphysicpillpoisonpowderpreparationprescriptionprescription drugproductproprietaryproprietary medicineproprietary namepsychedelicput to sleepput underquinineremedyrock to sleepsal ammoniacsalvesassafrassecondssedatesedativesimplesimplessleeping pillsoporificspecialspecificspikestandard articlestaplestaple itemstimulantstrychninestuffstunstupefysyrupteatheraputanttisanetrancetranquilizertreattreatmentuppervegetable remediesvendibleware
Noun(38 words)
maxzidemedmedicatemedicatingmedicationmedicinalmedicinemedicinesmelatoninmelphalanmiltownnarcoticnicotineoradexonosmitrolperformance enhancerpharmaceuticalpharmacologicalphysickingpiroxicam
Show 18 more words
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: administer, administer pharmacologic agent, adrenalin, alkaloid, aloes.
- Sentence evidence is available for drug, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "drug".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "drug"
Keep "drug" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "drug" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "drug", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "drug" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
16 entriesMore specific
26 entriesanabolic steroidanalgesicanesthesiaantibioticantidepressantbeta blockercocainedrug abusedrug deliverydrug efficacydrug interactiondrug safetydrug traffickingecstasyerythropoietingrowth hormone
Showing 16 of 26 words.
Collocations
12 entriesdrug administrationdrug deliverydrug developmentdrug discoverydrug interactiondrug interactionsdrug metabolismdrug resistancedrug safetydrug testingillegal drugprescription drug
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriesTranslations
42 translations across 27 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- φάρμακον noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Arabic
1 entries- عَقَّار noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Bulgarian
1 entries- лека́рство noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Catalan
1 entries- fàrmac noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 藥 /药 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- 藥品 /药品 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- 藥材 /药材 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- 藥物 /药物 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Corsican
1 entries- druga noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Danish
1 entries- droge noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Dutch
2 entries- geneesmiddel noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- medicijn noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Finnish
1 entries- lääke noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
French
1 entries- drogue noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
German
3 entries- Arznei noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- Droge noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- Medikament noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Greek
1 entries- φάρμακο noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Hebrew
1 entries- סַם noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Hungarian
2 entries- gyógyszer noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- orvosság noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Irish
1 entries- druga noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Japanese
3 entries- 医薬品 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- 薬 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- 薬剤 noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Malay
2 entries- dadah noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- ubat noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Māori
1 entries- pūroi noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- droge noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- legemiddel noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- droge noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Ojibwe
1 entries- mashkiki noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- علاج noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Russian
1 entries- лека́рство noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Sanskrit
3 entries- अगद noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- औषध noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- भेषज noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Spanish
2 entries- droga noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- fármaco noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Swahili
2 entries- dawa noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
- dawa ya famasia noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Swedish
1 entries- drog noun (substance used as a medical treatment — see also medicine)
Sample sentences
39 total sentences available.
Don't do that!!! There's a computer at the drug store.
Source: tatoeba (30202)
The new drug will be tested in Vaxgen's laboratory.
Source: tatoeba (35481)
We haven't tried the drug out on humans yet.
Source: tatoeba (43548)
Showing 4 of 39 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "drug"?
Closest matches include administer, administer pharmacologic agent, adrenalin, alkaloid, aloes.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "drug"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.