drugs

IPA/dɹˈʌɡz/
KK[drˈʌɡz]IPA/drˈʌɡz/

drugs — noun

1. a substance, made by nature or in a laboratory, that doctors give to people to t

1.nounA2
Definition

a substance, made by nature or in a laboratory, that doctors give to people to treat or prevent a disease or medical condition

Example

The doctor prescribed a new drug to help control Mei's high blood pressure.

collocation: prescribe a drug

Scientists are testing a drug that could slow the growth of lung cancer cells.

collocation: test a drug

Common collocations
  • prescribe a drug
  • take a drug
  • develop a drug
  • test a drug
  • a drug for [condition]
  • a drug against [disease]
Synonyms
  • medication

    more formal; often used for prescription treatments

  • medicine

    everyday term; broader, includes non-chemical remedies

  • remedy

    less common; can refer to a treatment for a specific symptom

Antonyms
  • poison

    a substance that harms or kills rather than heals

Grammar Patterns

take/prescribe/use + a drug

a drug + for + [condition]

Usage Note

Often appears with verbs like 'prescribe', 'take', 'test', 'develop'. In medical contexts, 'medication' or 'medicine' may be preferred to avoid confusion with the illegal-substance sense.

Common Mistakes

I need to pick up my drugs from the pharmacy.
I need to pick up my medication from the pharmacy.
In everyday English, 'drugs' can sound like illegal substances; use 'medicine' or 'medication' in neutral medical contexts.

2. a chemical substance, often illegal, that people take to feel enjoyment, to work

2.nounA2
Definition

a chemical substance, often illegal, that people take to feel enjoyment, to work or perform better in sport, or because they have become dependent on it

Example

Police arrested two people for selling illegal drugs near the playground.

collocation: sell illegal drugs

The health campaign warns teenagers about the dangers of taking drugs.

collocation: take drugs

Common collocations
  • take drugs
  • use drugs
  • sell drugs
  • deal drugs
  • illegal drugs
  • recreational drugs
  • hard drugs
  • soft drugs
  • performance-enhancing drugs
  • be on drugs
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

take/use/do + drugs

illegal/recreational + drugs

be on + drugs

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form ('drugs') when referring to illegal or recreational substances. Common with verbs: 'take', 'use', 'sell', 'deal'. Frequently modified by adjectives like 'illegal', 'recreational', 'hard', 'soft'.

Common Mistakes

He is drug addicted.
He is addicted to drugs.
The phrase pattern is 'addicted to drugs', not 'drug addicted' as a single adjective.
She took drug.
She took drugs.
In this sense, the plural 'drugs' is almost always used, even when referring to one type.

3. an activity or experience that someone enjoys so much that they cannot or do not

3.nounB2
Definition

an activity or experience that someone enjoys so much that they cannot or do not want to stop doing it

Example

For retired teacher Elena, gardening became a drug she could not give up.

figurative: became a drug

The excitement of skydiving was like a drug for the young adventurers.

comparative: like a drug

Common collocations
  • like a drug
  • become a drug
  • a drug for someone
  • a drug to someone
Synonyms
  • addiction

    noun for the condition itself rather than the activity

  • obsession

    stronger; implies constant thinking about the activity

  • habit

    milder; can be negative or neutral

Antonyms
  • chore

    an activity one dislikes doing

  • aversion

    a strong feeling of dislike towards something

Grammar Patterns

like a drug

become a drug

be a drug (to/for someone)

Usage Note

Used figuratively — not about actual chemicals. Commonly appears in comparisons ('like a drug') or as a description of compulsive behaviour ('is a drug for'). Subject is usually a pleasurable but potentially harmful activity.

Common Mistakes

Video games are a drug.' (confusing literal and figurative meaning)
Video games are like a drug for some people.
The figurative sense usually needs a comparison ('like') or context to show it is not a real substance.

drugs — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four terms refer to chemical substances taken for non-medical reasons, but they differ in register and scope. 'Narcotics' is a formal, often legal term that originally referred to opium-based drugs but now broadly covers any illegal addictive substance; it is the most common term in police and courtroom language. 'Illegal substances' is a broader, more neutral phrase that covers any drug prohibited by law, including marijuana where it remains illegal and newer synthetic compounds. 'Controlled substances' is a technical legal term from drug-regulation systems (such as the US Controlled Substances Act) that classifies drugs by their medical use and abuse potential — it includes some prescription medications as well as illegal ones. 'Recreational drugs' is the most casual and specific: it highlights that the person uses the drug for enjoyment rather than medical need, and usually excludes performance-enhancing drugs. In everyday conversation, 'drugs' alone is most common. For example, 'The police found narcotics in the car' sounds like a news report, while 'He offered me recreational drugs at the party' sounds like personal experience.

narcotics ↗illegal substancescontrolled substancesrecreational drugs

Common collocations

Nouns

  • drug addiction
  • drug abuse
  • drug dealer
  • drug problem
  • drug use

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle DutchOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'drug' entered English around the 1300s from Old French 'drogue', which likely came from Middle Dutch 'droge' (meaning 'dry'), referring to dried herbs and plants used for medicinal purposes. For centuries, 'drug' primarily meant a medicinal substance. During the 1800s, as opiates and other mind-altering substances became more widely available in the West, the word developed a second meaning focused on their addictive and recreational use. By the 1900s, 'drugs' in the plural had become the default term for illegal narcotics in law and everyday speech, while 'drug' in the singular continued to be used in medicine.