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wonder drug
noun
: a drug usually newly discovered that elicits a dramatic positive response in a patient's condition : miracle drug
So far, Prozac is acting as something of a wonder drug; it is highly effective, causes few dangerous side effects, and is already the most widely prescribed antidepressant after just 4 years on the market.—Ruth Levy Guyer and Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.
Stodgy old aspirin suddenly appears to be a wonder drug. But as often happens in medicine, the news hype may have overreached in search of hope.—Steven Findlay
Examples of wonder drug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, Bode warns that people need to be circumspect about chasing human milk as a wonder drug.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 29 Mar. 2024
Statins have been widely described as wonder drugs, lowering the risk of major heart events such as heart attack or stroke by about 25%.
—Maggie Fox, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Marijuana has long been lauded as a wonder drug for treating nausea and vomiting.
—Molly Sullivan, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024
Trust me anyone who was fat last year and is now skinny is on the wonder drug.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024
History shows plenty of wonder drugs and treatments.
—Andy Kessler, WSJ, 26 Nov. 2023
Each day, messages from Nigerian princes, peddlers of wonder drugs and promoters of can’t-miss investments choke email inboxes.
—John Licato, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2023
In the past, some doctors regarded aspirin as something of a wonder drug, capable of protecting healthy patients against a future heart attack or stroke.
—Emily Baumgaertner, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2023
As Fentanyl Awareness Day arrived last week, the public got a fresh look at the extremes — lives lost to overdoses and lives saved by the wonder drug Naloxone.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wonder drug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1939, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near wonder drug
Cite this Entry
“Wonder drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonder%20drug. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
wonder drug
noun
: a usually newly discovered drug capable of producing a noticeable and favorable change in a patient's condition
called also miracle drug
Medical Definition
wonder drug
noun
won·der drug
ˈwənd-ər-
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