performance-enhancing drug

noun

: a substance (such as an anabolic steroid, human growth hormone, or erythropoietin) that is used illicitly to improve athletic performance

In the United States, more than 1 million elite and recreational athletes use performance-enhancing drugs for muscle building purposes.

—Josiah D. Rich et al.

…33 of the 48 major and minor league players suspended by baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs since the start of 2006 were pitchers.

—Sean Gregory

Roger Bannister, the first person to run a subpar four-minute mile, said today he thought that increased use of blood testing could help curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs by track and field athletes.

—The New York Times

—abbreviation PED

Examples of performance-enhancing drug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gipson signed with Jacksonville but had to serve a six-game suspension for violating the policy on performance-enhancing drugs and was released without playing in a game this season. —Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

Judge would be the only player to do it who hasn’t been tied to performance-enhancing drugs. —Brendan Kuty, The Athletic, 25 Aug. 2024

In January 2008, she was sentenced to six months in jail for check fraud and using performance-enhancing drugs. —Brendan Le, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024

The former President has been bragging about his indifference to preparing for the evening, telling audiences that Biden has holed-up in a log cabin to rest up, is loaded up on performance-enhancing drugs, and getting favorable treatment already from debate moderators with CNN. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above