painkiller

Everyday

A medicine that makes pain less strong or stops it for a while, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. tree →

In the lessons

In health and drug education: only take painkillers when an adult gives them to you, and follow the dose on the label; too much can be dangerous. Painkillers hide pain but do not always cure the problem. Keep all medicines away from small children.

Examples

• The doctor gave me a painkiller for my sore tooth. tree →
• Never take painkillers without asking an adult. tree →
• Mum read the label to check how much painkiller to give. tree →
• Paracetamol is a common painkiller. tree →
• Keep painkillers locked away from little children. tree →
• After the painkiller, my headache went away. tree →

Note

One word: painkiller. Countable. Taking more than the right dose is dangerous, even with common painkillers; children often need a special children's version. A painkiller is not the same as an antibiotic (which fights bacteria).