Meaning & use
naproxen
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablemedical
A medicine that reduces pain and swelling, used for arthritis, muscle aches, and similar conditions.
Grammar: No plural and no article: you take naproxen, not 'a naproxen'.
Patterns
- take naproxen
- be prescribed naproxen
- a dose of naproxen
The doctor told her to take naproxen twice a day for her back pain.
Naproxen can upset your stomach, so take it with food.
He switched from ibuprofen to naproxen because it lasted longer.
nouncountablemedicalinformal
A tablet or pill containing this medicine.
Grammar: Countable when it means a single tablet: one naproxen, two naproxens.
Patterns
- take a naproxen
- a 250 mg naproxen
She took a naproxen and lay down for an hour.
The pharmacist gave him a box of naproxens.
Common combinations
- take naproxen
- You should take naproxen with a full glass of water.
- prescribe naproxen
- The doctor prescribed naproxen for her swollen knee.
- naproxen sodium
- Naproxen sodium is absorbed a little faster than plain naproxen.
- a dose of naproxen
- Do not exceed the recommended dose of naproxen.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ibuprofen
- A similar anti-inflammatory drug, but often taken more frequently and in smaller doses.
- aspirin
- An older painkiller that also reduces swelling; it is not the same drug and can irritate the stomach more.
Commonly confused: naproxen or Nexium?
naproxen vs Nexium
A brand of a different drug (esomeprazole) for stomach acid, not a painkiller.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'naproxen' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Naproxen' is usually uncountable, so no article is needed: 'took naproxen'. 'A naproxen' and 'the naproxen' are possible only when you mean one specific tablet, which is not the case here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “naproxen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.