opiate
noun
opi·ate
| \ ˈō-pē-ət
, -ˌāt\
, -ˌāt\
Definition of opiate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a drug (such as morphine or codeine) containing or derived from opium and tending to induce sleep and alleviate pain
broadly
: narcotic sense 1a
b
: opioid sense 1
2
: something that induces rest or inaction or quiets uneasiness
regarded television as an opiate
opiate
adjectiveDefinition of opiate (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: containing or mixed with opium
b
: of, relating to, binding, or being an opiate
opiate receptors
2a
: inducing sleep : narcotic
b
: causing dullness or inaction
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Synonyms & Antonyms for opiate
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Adjective
drowsy, hypnotic, narcotic, sleepy, slumberous (or slumbrous), somniferous, somnolent, soporific
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of opiate in a Sentence
Noun
Many see television as an opiate of the masses. a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American peopleAdjective
morphine is an opiate drug
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The addictive, synthetic opiate is up to 100 times more potent than other prescription opioids, Coffin said. — Lauren Hernández, SFChronicle.com, "Fentanyl overdose deaths soared in 2018 with 89 dead," 7 Aug. 2019 Guzman and Liston are being charged under the Operation S.O.S (sudden opiate surge) initiative. — Kaylee Remington, cleveland.com, "Two Lorain men in federal custody, accused of accepting illegal drugs from Phoenix, authorities say," 17 July 2019 The agency had repeated contact with the family since even before AJ was born with opiates and other drugs in his system. — Christy Gutowski, chicagotribune.com, "Attorney for estate of AJ Freund suggests lawsuit is likely in beating death of 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy," 8 July 2019 Lawsuits have continued to pile onto some of the biggest opiate makers as the drug epidemic continues to roil communities across the country. — Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Opioid-related deaths peaked in West Allis in 2017. Now the city plans to sue opioid manufacturers.," 5 June 2019 The main culprit has been the synthetic opiate fentanyl for the past few years. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio likely to see first overdose death drop ever, CDC estimates," 17 July 2019 Some evidence is emerging that fentanyl, a powerful and highly addictive synthetic opiate, is replacing heroin and other drugs, particularly on the East Coast. — Kirk Semple, New York Times, "Mexican Opium Prices Plummet, Driving Poppy Farmers to Migrate," 7 July 2019 Nebraska authorities seized 118 pounds of fentanyl – a highly addictive opiate – during a routine truck stop last month. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Seized fentanyl enough to kill 26M people, Nebraska police say," 25 May 2018 Opioids gained traction in white suburban and rural areas where people were overdosing on prescription opiates like Percocet and OxyContin. — Marissa J. Lang, Washington Post, "‘I survived. I made it out’: She used to be addicted to crack cocaine. Now, she wants to help opioid abusers.," 10 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in Concord, N.H., touting a federal plan to get tougher on fentanyl dealers in cities hit hardest by the opiate abuse crisis. — Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "The truth about Lawrence," 14 July 2018 To this administration, opiate addiction isn’t primarily about demand — about treating addicts and saving lives. — Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "The truth about Lawrence," 14 July 2018 The Nebraska State Patrol seized 118 pounds of fentanyl in April, making it the largest seizure of the opiate drug in the state's history. — Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, "Near a Nebraska town, cops seize enough opioids to kill over 26 million," 26 May 2018 The Obama Foundation Fellowship selected Kang to keep up his civic engagement by building a comprehensive continuum of care for those with opiate addiction. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "'There is hope.' Mercy Health psychologist gets Obama fellowship for addiction work," 24 Apr. 2018 Doctors often treat that condition with opiate medication, despite little evidence that opiates are actually effective for it. — Christopher Ingraham, chicagotribune.com, "Two new studies show how marijuana can help fight the opioid epidemic," 2 Apr. 2018 The study was co-funded by Intelligent Fingerprinting, which makes a drug test that uses the sweat from fingerprints to test for cocaine, cannabis, and opiate use. — Emily Price, Fortune, "You May Have Traces of Cocaine or Heroin on Your Fingertips Right Now," 22 Mar. 2018 More problematic is that some clinics, like Zong’s, offer a mix of services — treatment for both opiate addiction and pain. — Brian Rinker, Washington Post, "A Battered Doctor, A Slain Patient And A Family’s Quest For Answers," 13 Mar. 2018 Opioid and opiate drugs bind to and activate opioid receptors in your brain, gut, and spinal cord. — Tessie Castillo, SELF, "Here Are the Medications You Should Never Mix With Opioids," 6 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for opiate
opiate
noun
English Language Learners Definition of opiate
: a drug (such as morphine or codeine) that is made from opium and that is used to reduce pain or cause sleep
disapproving
: something that causes people to ignore problems and to relax instead of doing things that need to be done
See the full definition for opiate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
opiate
noun
opi·ate
| \ ˈō-pē-ət
, -ˌāt
\
, -ˌāt
\
Medical Definition of opiate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a drug (as morphine, heroin, and codeine) containing or derived from opium and tending to induce sleep and to alleviate pain
broadly
: narcotic sense 1
2
: opioid sense 1
—not used technically
opiate
adjective