tylenol

IPA/ˈtaɪ.lə.nɒl/
KK[tˈaɪlənˌɔl]IPA/ˈtaɪ.lə.nɑːl/

tylenol — noun

1. a US brand of acetaminophen that people use to lower a fever or ease ordinary pa

1.nounB2
Definition

a US brand of acetaminophen that people use to lower a fever or ease ordinary pain such as headaches, toothaches, or sore muscles

Example

After the dental work, Gabriel took Tylenol before the numbness wore off.

take Tylenol before pain returns

The school nurse told Liang to call home before taking Tylenol for his fever.

take + Tylenol

Common collocations
  • take Tylenol
  • Tylenol for a headache
  • reach for Tylenol
  • two Tylenol
Synonyms
  • acetaminophen

    the generic drug name used on US medicine labels

  • paracetamol

    the international generic name for the same medicine

  • painkiller

    a broader everyday term that can refer to many different medicines

Grammar Patterns

take + Tylenol

Tylenol for + pain

two + Tylenol

Usage Note

Tylenol is chiefly an American brand name. Speakers often say take Tylenol without an article when they mean the medicine in general, but in informal speech they may say a Tylenol or two Tylenol when talking about tablets.

Common Mistakes

I drank Tylenol for my headache.
I took Tylenol for my headache.
Use 'take' with medicine unless you are specifically talking about a liquid drink.
Tylenol means any painkiller.
Tylenol is one brand of acetaminophen.
It names a particular brand, not every medicine for pain.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tylenol is a brand name, while acetaminophen is the generic name of the same medicine in American English. Paracetamol is the international name for that same drug, so learners should treat acetaminophen and paracetamol as medical equivalents. Ibuprofen is different: it also reduces pain and fever, but it belongs to another drug type and is often chosen when swelling is part of the problem. Advil is a brand name for ibuprofen, not for Tylenol. In everyday US speech, people often say 'Take Tylenol' rather than 'Take acetaminophen', but medicine labels usually show both the brand and the generic name.

acetaminophen ↗paracetamol ↗ibuprofen ↗Advil

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Tylenol tablet
  • Tylenol bottle
  • Tylenol label

Phrases

  • take Tylenol
  • reach for Tylenol
  • pack Tylenol

Prepositions

  • Tylenol for