ibuprofen

IPA/ˌaɪbjuːˈprəʊfen/
KK[ˌaɪbjuprˈofən]IPA/ˌaɪbjuːˈprəʊfen/

ibuprofen — noun

1. A common medicine that helps stop pain, reduce swelling, and lower fever. It bel

1.nounB1
Definition

A common medicine that helps stop pain, reduce swelling, and lower fever. It belongs to a group of drugs called NSAIDs and can be bought at a pharmacy without a doctor's note.

Example

Jing took ibuprofen after falling off her bicycle and hurting her knee.

take + ibuprofen + after [event]

The doctor told Hana to take ibuprofen for her fever.

take + ibuprofen + for [symptom]

Common collocations
  • take ibuprofen
  • ibuprofen tablets
  • ibuprofen gel
  • a dose of ibuprofen
  • ibuprofen for headaches
  • ibuprofen for muscle pain
  • over-the-counter ibuprofen
  • prescription-strength ibuprofen
Synonyms
  • painkiller

    general term for any drug that relieves pain; less specific than ibuprofen

  • anti-inflammatory

    describes the swelling-reducing property; broader category that includes ibuprofen and other drugs

  • Advil

    common brand name for ibuprofen in the US; used informally to mean the drug itself

Grammar Patterns

take + ibuprofen

Usage Note

In Taiwan, ibuprofen is an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine available at most pharmacies. Unlike some countries, it does not require a prescription for standard doses. Ibuprofen is usually uncountable (e.g., 'some ibuprofen'), but in informal speech people may say 'two ibuprofens' to mean two tablets.

Common Mistakes

I drank ibuprofen for my headache.
I took ibuprofen for my headache.
ibuprofen is taken as tablets, capsules, or gel; it is not a liquid you drink.
I took ibuprofen for fever.
I took some ibuprofen for the fever.
use a quantifier like 'some' or an article in natural English.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen (called paracetamol in British English) are all common pain relievers, but they work differently in the body. Ibuprofen and aspirin are NSAIDs — they reduce inflammation and swelling as well as pain. Acetaminophen reduces pain and fever but does not fight inflammation. Aspirin also has a blood-thinning effect, so it is sometimes taken to prevent heart problems, while ibuprofen does not share this property. Ibuprofen is gentler on the stomach than aspirin but can cause discomfort if taken without food. For example, a doctor may recommend ibuprofen for a sprained ankle because of its anti-inflammatory effect, but acetaminophen for a simple headache.

ibuprofen ↗aspirin ↗acetaminophen ↗paracetamol ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Englishcoined from chemical terminology

The word 'ibuprofen' was created in the 1960s from parts of its chemical name: iso-butyl-propanoic-phenolic acid. The drug was discovered by a British researcher named Stewart Adams while looking for a better treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. It became available to the public in the 1980s and is now one of the most widely used pain relievers in the world.