side effect
noun
: a secondary and usually adverse effect (as of a drug)
toxic side effects
called also side reaction
Examples of side effect in a Sentence
Nausea and diarrhea are the side effects of the drug.
the harmful side effects of using chemicals to kill insects
The merger created positive side effects for both companies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Weight gain is a common side effect of many antidepressants.
—
Don Rauf, EverydayHealth.com, 5 July 2024
At the same time, some immunotherapies and other medicines don’t take nearly the toll of older therapies, which have common side effects of nausea, vomiting and hair loss.
—Steven Petrow, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
Certain Medications Research suggests that more than 400 medications can cause dry throat as a side effect.
—Laura Schober, Health, 3 July 2024
However, the drug also had potentially deadly side effects.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for side effect 
Don Rauf, EverydayHealth.com, 5 July 2024
At the same time, some immunotherapies and other medicines don’t take nearly the toll of older therapies, which have common side effects of nausea, vomiting and hair loss.
—Steven Petrow, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
Certain Medications Research suggests that more than 400 medications can cause dry throat as a side effect.
—Laura Schober, Health, 3 July 2024
However, the drug also had potentially deadly side effects.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for side effect
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'side effect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near side effect
Cite this Entry
“Side effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/side%20effect. Accessed 16 Jul. 2024.
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