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
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Recent Examples of anodyne
Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
What used to be complementary is now an up-charge, what used to be fueled by actors and human talent is now automated and impersonal, and what used to be special is anodyne and mundane.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
Adam Rogers, Wired, 11 Feb. 2020
To yield to the soft tyranny of transgender pronouns is to pretend that gender dysphoria is an anodyne lifestyle on which societal legitimacy should be conferred, not a psychological malady requiring compassion and psychological treatment.
—Josh Hammer, National Review, 27 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for anodyne
Adjective
The speculation here is that to delay every single response by GPT while it’s being double-checked for safety could unduly slow it down, when most questions and answers are totally anodyne.
—Jonathan L. Zittrain, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
What used to be complementary is now an up-charge, what used to be fueled by actors and human talent is now automated and impersonal, and what used to be special is anodyne and mundane.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
Noun
The result of all that rulemaking and political sensitivity is the anodyne Covid-19.
—Adam Rogers, Wired, 11 Feb. 2020
To yield to the soft tyranny of transgender pronouns is to pretend that gender dysphoria is an anodyne lifestyle on which societal legitimacy should be conferred, not a psychological malady requiring compassion and psychological treatment.
—Josh Hammer, National Review, 27 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for anodyne
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anodyne
Adjective
-
The three-judge panel for the appeals court rejected their claims, finding that any errors were harmless or that their arguments failed to show any violation.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Even a seemingly harmless email thread between friends had been hacked, exposing private details.—
Chad Angle,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Nosenko, meanwhile, would slip a sedative into his co-pilot’s coffee before takeoff, knocking him unconscious, and then report to his superiors that his jet was struck by Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire.—
Joshua Yaffa,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The first attempt involved giving him sedatives a couple of hours before the appointment.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The bill permits the Treasury Department secretary to take action if financial institutions outside the United States are suspected of facilitating money laundering for narcotics purposes.—
Ross O'Keefe,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Patron Sanchez, who’s charged with continuing criminal enterprise, narcotics trafficking and firearms charges, faces the possibility of mandatory life in prison if he’s convicted.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
According to Healthline, benign easy bruising, called actinic purpura or senile purpura is common.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Yes, Republicans have been getting an earful from their districts, but those skirmishes are going to look perfectly benign compared to what a vindictive Trump could unleash for lawmakers who show too much pluck.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Participants who’d been issued at least two acetaminophen prescriptions within six months – and not in combination with other analgesics like codeine – were defined as exposed to acetaminophen.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Dec. 2024
-
Importantly, the medication is not an opioid, which means that medical professionals now have an alternative to treating acute pain that doesn’t require using a potentially addictive analgesic.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Tolerance is a side effect of many medications, such as opiates and benzodiazepines, which are often used to help treat pain and anxiety.—
Femi Aremu,
Verywell Health,
3 Feb. 2025
-
A day later, a social worker told the new mother: The baby’s meconium — or first bowel movement — had tested positive for opiates.—
Shoshana Walter,
USA TODAY,
11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The lander continued to fire its small reaction control system thrusters to fine-tune its descent, heading for a relatively flat, boulder-free stretch of lunar ground that Blue Ghost autonomously selected as a safe landing spot.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2025
-
The challenge of keeping hospitals safe Hospitals are particularly challenging to secure because of the way they are set up, Clay said.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In a race against time, Melissa must figure out if an innocent man is going to die for a crime her father really committed.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2025
-
In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anodyne.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anodyne. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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