heroin
noun
her·o·in
ˈher-ə-wən 
ˈhe-rə-
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
Examples of heroin in a Sentence
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The year is 1961, and the jazz legend (played flawlessly by Norway’s Anders Danielsen Lie) is firmly in the grip of a raging heroin addiction, having acquired a taste for the destructive street drug made inexplicably romantic in postwar boho circles.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
The months that followed LaFaro’s death, in which Evans disappeared from public life, alternately feeding his heroin addiction or going cold turkey in an attempt to kick it, constitute the movie’s principal timeline.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The experience of liking seems to be triggered by different neurotransmitters, most likely endorphins and endocannabinoids (the natural equivalents of heroin and cannabis, respectively).
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
For example, chronic pain from a past injury can often lead to misuse of prescription opioids, which later may evolve into using other substances like heroin or fentanyl.
—Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heroin
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Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
The months that followed LaFaro’s death, in which Evans disappeared from public life, alternately feeding his heroin addiction or going cold turkey in an attempt to kick it, constitute the movie’s principal timeline.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The experience of liking seems to be triggered by different neurotransmitters, most likely endorphins and endocannabinoids (the natural equivalents of heroin and cannabis, respectively).
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
For example, chronic pain from a past injury can often lead to misuse of prescription opioids, which later may evolve into using other substances like heroin or fentanyl.
—Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heroin
Cite this Entry
“Heroin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroin. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heroin
noun
her·o·in
ˈher-ə-wən
: a strongly addictive drug made from the opium poppy and stronger than morphine
Medical Definition
heroin
noun
her·o·in
ˈher-ə-wən
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the United States but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
called also acetomorphine, diacetylmorphine, diamorphine
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