Meaning & use
NSAID
Last updated
UK/ˈɛnsɛd/
US/ˈɛnsɛd/
Meaning
abbreviationcountablemedical
A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a medicine that reduces pain, swelling and fever without being a steroid.
Grammar: Countable: an NSAID, two NSAIDs.
Patterns
- take an NSAID
- an NSAID for something
Ibuprofen is a common NSAID for headaches and sore muscles.
Doctors warned that long-term NSAID use can harm the stomach.
She took an NSAID to reduce the swelling in her ankle.
Word forms
| plural | NSAIDs |
|---|
Common combinations
- take an NSAID
- Take an NSAID with food to protect your stomach.
- over-the-counter NSAID
- An over-the-counter NSAID helped with her back pain.
- NSAID gel
- He rubbed NSAID gel on his knee.
- prescription NSAID
- The doctor prescribed a stronger NSAID.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anti-inflammatory
- Anti-inflammatory is a broader term and includes steroids, while NSAID excludes them.
- painkiller
- Painkiller covers any pain-relieving drug, while an NSAID also reduces swelling.
- analgesic
- Analgesic is a formal word for pain relief and includes drugs like paracetamol that are not NSAIDs.
Word family
- anti-inflammatory adjective
- reducing swelling
- inflammation noun
- redness and swelling in the body
- steroid noun
- a type of drug or hormone
Commonly confused: NSAID or paracetamol?
NSAID vs paracetamol
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) relieves pain and fever but is not an NSAID because it does not reduce inflammation.
Practice
Which of these is an NSAID?
Choose one answer.
Ibuprofen is a common NSAID. Penicillin is an antibiotic and insulin is a hormone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “NSAID”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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