Meaning & use
microdose
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A very small dose of a drug, taken to produce subtle effects without strong intoxication.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'take' or 'of' to specify the substance.
Patterns
- take a microdose
- a microdose of something
She took a microdose of the medication to see if it helped with her anxiety.
A microdose is much smaller than a standard dose and is not meant to cause a strong high.
Some people report that a microdose of psychedelics improves their focus.
verbintransitive
To take a very small, sub-therapeutic dose of a substance, often a psychoactive drug.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'on' to specify the substance: microdose on LSD.
Patterns
- microdose on something
- microdose before something
He microdoses on weekends to boost his creativity.
Some professionals microdose before work, though the practice is controversial.
She has been microdosing for a month and says she feels more focused.
Word forms
| plural | microdoses |
|---|---|
| third person singular | microdoses |
| past tense | microdosed |
| past participle | microdosed |
| -ing form | microdosing |
Common combinations
- take a microdose
- He decided to take a microdose of the drug.
- a microdose of LSD
- A microdose of LSD is too small to cause hallucinations.
- microdose on
- She microdoses on mushrooms for inspiration.
- microdosing regimen
- His microdosing regimen involves taking the drug every third day.
Synonyms and how they differ
- small dose
- A more general term; 'microdose' specifically implies an extremely small amount, often below the threshold of noticeable effects.
Opposites
Word family
- microdosing noun
- The practice of taking microdoses regularly.
- dose noun
- The amount of a drug taken at one time; a microdose is a very small one.
Commonly confused: microdose or microdot?
microdose vs microdot
A microdot is a tiny photograph, not a small dose of a drug.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'microdose' correctly as a verb?
Choose one answer.
As a verb, 'microdose' is intransitive and often followed by 'on' to name the substance. 'Microdosed the cake' would mean adding a tiny amount to food, which is not the usual sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “microdose”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.