Langimage
English

painkiller

|pain/kill/er|

B1

🇺🇸

/ˈpeɪnˌkɪlər/

🇬🇧

/ˈpeɪnˌkɪlə/

pain relief

Etymology
Etymology Information

'painkiller' originates from the combination of 'pain' and 'killer', where 'pain' refers to physical suffering and 'killer' implies something that eliminates or reduces.

Historical Evolution

'painkiller' was formed in modern English by combining 'pain' and 'killer'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'something that kills pain', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a drug or medicine for relieving pain.

She took a painkiller to alleviate her headache.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45