an·es·thet·ic
ˌa-nəs-ˈthe-tik 
1
: of, relating to, or capable of producing anesthesia
2
: lacking awareness or sensitivity
was anesthetic to their feelings
1
: a substance that produces anesthesia
2
: something that brings relief : palliative
Synonyms
Examples of anesthetic in a Sentence
Noun
The doctor gave him the stitches without an anesthetic.
the dentist waited until the anesthetic took effect
Recent Examples on the Web
Tori Crowther, Allure, 11 Dec. 2024
Multimodal analgesia uses a combination of at least two medications or anesthetic techniques, each relieving pain through distinct mechanisms.
—Heather Margonari, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2024
Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
To treat tinnitus, local anesthetics may be injected into the ear canal.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for anesthetic 
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Adjective
Some practitioners, like Dr. Soni, use a local anesthetic cream and ice on the area, others just go straight to injecting.
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 11 Dec. 2024
Multimodal analgesia uses a combination of at least two medications or anesthetic techniques, each relieving pain through distinct mechanisms.
—Heather Margonari, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
Instead, its high volume of ketamine, a potent anesthetic already skyrocketing as a prescription medication as well as surging in misuse, is responsible for its dissociative and psychedelic effects.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
To treat tinnitus, local anesthetics may be injected into the ear canal.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for anesthetic
Dictionary Entries Near anesthetic
Cite this Entry
“Anesthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anesthetic. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anesthetic
1 of 2 adjective
an·es·thet·ic
ˌan-əs-ˈthet-ik
: of, relating to, or capable of producing anesthesia
anesthetic
2 of 2 noun
: a substance that produces anesthesia in part or all of the body
Medical Definition
anesthetic
1 of 2 adjective
an·es·thet·ic
variants
or chiefly British anaesthetic
1
: capable of producing anesthesia
anesthetic agents
2
: of, relating to, or caused by anesthesia
an anesthetic effect
anesthetic symptoms
anesthetic
2 of 2 noun
variants
or chiefly British anaesthetic
: a substance that produces anesthesia
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