take drugs

take drugs — idiom

1. to use substances such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine that are against t

1.慣用語B2
釋義

to use substances such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine that are against the law, usually in a way that harms one's health, relationships, or daily life

例句

Haruto started taking drugs at sixteen, and his health quickly got worse.

collocation: start taking drugs

The police arrested several young people who were taking drugs inside an abandoned school.

同義詞
  • use drugs

    broader and slightly less idiom-like; 'use drugs' can include any kind of drug use, while 'take drugs' often carries a stronger implication of addiction

  • do drugs

    informal; common in casual speech but less appropriate in formal or written contexts

  • abuse drugs

    stronger, more clinical term that explicitly implies harmful or excessive use

用法筆記

This phrase almost always refers to illegal or recreational drug use, not to taking prescribed medicine. It often suggests a pattern of habitual use with negative consequences.

常見錯誤

❌I need to take drugs for my headache.
✅I need to take medicine for my headache.
💡'take drugs' implies illegal substances; use 'take medicine' or 'take medication' for prescribed or over-the-counter remedies.