English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

From Medieval Latin anōdynos (“stilling or relieving pain”), from Ancient Greek ἀνώδυνος (anṓdunos, “free from pain”), from ἀν- (an-, “without”) + ὀδύνη (odúnē, “pain”).

Adjective sense “noncontentious” probably through French anodin (“harmless, trivial”), of same origin.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Adjective [ edit ]

anodyne (comparative more anodyne, superlative most anodyne)

( pharmacology ) capable of soothing or eliminating pain 1847 , Littell's Living Age , number 161, 12 June 1847, in Volume 13, page 483: Many a time has the vapor of ether been inhaled for the relief of oppressed lungs; many a time has the sought relief been thus obtained; and just so many times has the discovery of the wonderful anodyne properties of this gas, as affecting all bodily suffering, been brushed past and overlooked.

, , number 161, 12 June 1847, in Volume 13, page 483: 1910, Edward L. Keyes, Diseases of the Genito-Urinary Organs, page 211: The citrate is the most efficient as an alkali, but irritates some stomachs, the liquor the most anodyne, the acetate the most diuretic. ( figurative ) soothing or relaxing Classical music is rather anodyne. ( by extension ) noncontentious, blandly agreeable, unlikely to cause offence or debate bland inoffensive noncontentious 2003 , The Guardian , 20 May 2003: It all became so routine, so anodyne , so dull.

, , 20 May 2003: 2004 , John Dickie, Cosa Nostra: A History Of The Sicilian Mafia , Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN : , Hodder & Stoughton, What is less known about Cavalleria is that its story is the purest, most anodyne form of a myth about Sicily and the mafia, a myth that was something akin to the official ideology of the Sicilian mafia for nearly a century and a half.

2010, "Rattled", The Economist, 9 Dec 2010: States typically like to stick to anodyne messages, like saving wildflowers or animals. But every so often a controversy crops up.

Translations [ edit ]

Noun [ edit ]

anodyne (plural anodynes)

( pharmacology ) any medicine or other agent that relieves pain ( figurative ) a source of relaxation or comfort 1890 , Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray , ch. VII: The air was heavy with the perfume of the flowers, and their beauty seemed to bring him an anodyne for his pain.

, Oscar Wilde, , ch. VII: 1929, Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own, page 79: So, with a sigh, because novels so often provide an anodyne and not an antidote, glide one into torpid slumbers instead of rousing one with a burning brand.

Translations [ edit ]

any medicine or other agent that relieves pain Bulgarian: болкоуспокояващо ( bolkouspokojavašto )

Catalan: analgèsic

Finnish: kipulääke (fi) French: analgésique (fr) m

Russian: болеутоля́ющее n ( boleutoljájuščeje ) , анальге́тик (ru) m ( analʹgétik )

a source of relaxation or comfort Catalan: calmant (ca)

Finnish: lievitys (fi)

French: calmant (fr) m Russian: успокое́ние (ru) n ( uspokojénije )

Spanish: tranquilizante m

Derived terms [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

Anagrams [ edit ]

French [ edit ]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Adjective [ edit ]

anodyne

Latin [ edit ]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Adjective [ edit ]

anōdyne