anesthetic
anesthetic — noun
- anestheticsingular
- anestheticsplural
1. The American English spelling of 'anaesthetic' (a substance that stops pain).
The American English spelling of 'anaesthetic' (a substance that stops pain).
The doctor wrote 'anesthetic' on the chart because the hospital uses American spelling.
Mei-Lin noticed that her British textbook used 'anaesthetic' while the American journal used 'anesthetic'.
distinguishing US vs British spelling
When searching online medical articles, try both spellings — 'anesthetic' and 'anaesthetic'.
The spelling 'anesthetic' is standard in the US, while 'anaesthetic' is more common in Australia.
文法句型
(the) anesthetic
an anesthetic
用法筆記
In American English, this is the standard spelling. In Taiwan, educational materials typically follow American spelling conventions, so 'anesthetic' is the form you will see most often.
常見錯誤
2. A drug or substance given to a person before a medical operation or procedure so
A drug or substance given to a person before a medical operation or procedure so that they do not feel pain while the doctor or dentist works on them.
The nurse prepared a local anesthetic before the dentist began working on Priya's tooth.
local anesthetic for a specific body part
Dr. Okonkwo explained that the general anesthetic would make the surgery completely painless.
general anesthetic puts the patient to sleep
Aisha asked whether the anesthetic would wear off before she got home from the hospital.
The veterinarian gave the dog a general anesthetic before starting the operation on its leg.
Leila felt the anesthetic spread through her arm as a warm heaviness before numbness began.
- painkiller
everyday word for mild pain relief, does not block all sensation
- numbing agent
describes the effect rather than the medical substance
- analgesic
medical term for pain relief without necessarily causing numbness
文法句型
local anesthetic
general anesthetic
under anesthetic
administer an anesthetic
用法筆記
Frequently paired with 'local' (numbing one small area) or 'general' (putting the whole body to sleep). Patients are said to be 'under anesthetic' during a procedure.
常見錯誤
anesthetic — adjective
- anestheticpositive
- more anestheticcomparative
- most anestheticsuperlative
1. Describes a drug, cream, or treatment that stops a person or a part of the body
Describes a drug, cream, or treatment that stops a person or a part of the body from feeling pain, touch, or other physical sensations.
The anesthetic cream made the skin feel cold and heavy before the injection.
anesthetic cream — topical numbing
The hospital uses an anesthetic spray to numb the throat before the examination.
Some anesthetic drugs can make patients feel sleepy for several hours after an operation.
The dentist applied an anesthetic gel to Carlos's gums before removing the tooth.
- sensitizing
technical term for making more sensitive
文法句型
anesthetic + noun (cream, spray, drug, gel, injection, effect)
用法筆記
Commonly used before nouns such as 'cream', 'spray', 'drug', 'gel', 'injection', or 'agent'. This adjective is almost always used attributively (before a noun) in medical contexts.
常見錯誤
2. Describes a state or quality that makes a person unable to feel strong emotions
Describes a state or quality that makes a person unable to feel strong emotions or react emotionally to events that would normally upset or excite them.
After losing his job, Theo felt an anesthetic numbness that stopped him from feeling anything.
anesthetic numbness — emotional state
The constant stream of bad news on television had an almost anesthetic effect on viewers.
anesthetic effect — figurative use
Rosa called the weeks after her grandmother's death an anesthetic period where nothing felt real.
The accident's shock had an anesthetic quality that kept Javier from crying until dawn.
- sensitive
able to feel emotions strongly
- responsive
reacting emotionally to events
文法句型
anesthetic + noun (effect, quality, numbness, state)
用法筆記
Figurative use only — describes emotional or mental numbness, not physical sensation. Common in literary, formal, or psychological writing. The adjective almost always appears before a noun like 'effect', 'quality', 'numbness', or 'state'.