as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
the otherwise anodyne comments sounded quite inflammatory when taken out of context
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in sedative
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
the dentist prescribed an anodyne after the root canal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in narcotic
something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security
as an anodyne for the stress and superficiality of the modern world, there's nothing better than reading a literary classic of substance and insight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anodyne
Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
The problem is that to be so universally inoffensive, an affiliative joke usually ends up being overworn and anodyne.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
John Brant, Popular Mechanics, 27 Apr. 2020
This is the confluence that defines the spectacle: statistics, like photographs, have a kind of moral authority, one whose meaning may repel us but one that nevertheless encourages certainty, and thus anodyne.
—Shannon Pufahl, The New York Review of Books, 21 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for anodyne
Adjective
The Port, which is overseen by the county, issued its own anodyne statement at the time, never conceding any role in the problem.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
The problem is that to be so universally inoffensive, an affiliative joke usually ends up being overworn and anodyne.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
Peterson pauses, running his hand along the blue aluminum-anodyne actuator machined to match the length of Daniel’s right thigh.
—John Brant, Popular Mechanics, 27 Apr. 2020
This is the confluence that defines the spectacle: statistics, like photographs, have a kind of moral authority, one whose meaning may repel us but one that nevertheless encourages certainty, and thus anodyne.
—Shannon Pufahl, The New York Review of Books, 21 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for anodyne
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anodyne
Adjective
-
Some of these interventions are harmless and many can be quite helpful.—
Hannah Kerman,
STAT,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The new biopic of Jackson from director Antoine Fuqua and the Jackson estate paints the gloved one as the one true victim — a harmless Peter Pan figure whose own childhood was snatched away by a domineering father.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All Florida executions are carried out by injecting a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
-
All Florida executions are by lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Graves worked in various roles during his tenure with the Police Department, including the narcotics unit, property crimes division, violent crime division, tactical unit and special investigations unit.—
Ben Wheeler
April 29,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Charges against Moya included narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, along with another conspiracy count.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Far from benign, some experts say the videos can skew how people view and even interact with wildlife — potentially leading to perilous encounters.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Then again, the political weather was much more benign, the two nations having worked hand in glove in the first Gulf War.—
Katie Nicholl,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One approach to the treatment of pain, almost regardless of its cause, has gained both acceptance and notoriety: the use of opioids, or narcotic analgesics.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Here's what to know about the medication, a powerful painkiller that belongs to a group of medicines called opioid analgesics.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Are laughter and lightness merely opiates, or tools of the revolution, or both, or neither?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Offering 99 percent accuracy for five different drugs, this drug test has exceptional sensitivity for detecting opiates in urine.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Musk cofounded OpenAI as a nonprofit dedicated to creating safe AI, but Altman later launched a for-profit subsidiary and is now gearing up for an IPO.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Albanese noted that despite concluding that risks to Australian Jews were rising, the report found that no urgent changes were required to keep Australians safe.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the tranquilizer kicked in, the bear climbed higher into the tree before stumbling down a branch, eventually losing its grip completely and falling into the net.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Fentanyl in street drugs is in some cases being mixed with or supplemented by dangerous alternatives, including the animal tranquilizer medetomidine and cychlorphine, an emergent synthetic opioid that carries an extreme risk of overdose.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anodyne.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anodyne. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
