Opiate Meaning
/ˈəʊpi.ət/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjRelating to, resembling, or containing opium.
adjSoporific; inducing sleep or sedation.
Sentence Examples
Religion is the opiate of the masses.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The doctor prescribed a strong ____ to relieve the patient's severe pain.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor warned that long-term use of any ____ could lead to physical dependence and addiction.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English opiate, from Medieval Latin opiātus.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"They chose atheism as an opiate."
— 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:
"The music—the fragrance of the flowers, whose odour was exhaling in the now falling dew—the languor of recent exertion—the sense of past dangers and present security—operated on Beatrice like the first and delicious stage of an opiate."
— 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 230:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The doctor prescribed a strong ____ to relieve the patient's severe pain.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor warned that long-term use of any ____ could lead to physical dependence and addiction.