drug 1 S2 W1 / drʌɡ / 名词 [可数名词]
1 an illegal substance such as marijuana or cocaine , which some people take in order to feel happy, relaxed, or excited :
A lot of young people start taking drugs at school.
She always looks as though she’s on drugs (= taking drugs ) .
Jimi Hendrix died of a drug overdose.
2 a medicine, or a substance for making medicines :
a drug used in the treatment of cancer
drug for
new drugs for AIDS-related conditions
Drugs prescribed (= ordered for people ) by doctors can be extremely hazardous if used in the wrong way.
The big drug companies make huge profits.
3 a substance that people doing a sport sometimes take illegally to improve their performance :
She was banned from the Olympics after failing a drug test (= a test that shows if you have taken drugs ) .
performance-enhancing drugs
4 [通常单数形式] a substance such as tobacco, coffee, or alcohol, that makes you want more and more of it
5 be (like) a drug if an activity is like a drug, you enjoy it so much that you want to do it more and more :
Athletics is like a drug – it keeps dragging you back for more.
→ miracle drug at miracle ( 3 )
COLLOCATIONS
动词
take/use drugs I think I took drugs to escape my problems.
do drugs informal (= take drugs ) All my friends were doing drugs.
be on drugs (= take drugs regularly ) It can be very hard to tell if your teenager is on drugs.
be addicted to drugs/dependent on drugs (= be unable to stop taking drugs ) People who are addicted to drugs need help.
be/get hooked on drugs informal (= be/get addicted ) She got hooked on drugs, and ended up homeless.
experiment with drugs (= try taking drugs ) She admitted that she had experimented with drugs.
come off/get off drugs (= stop taking drugs permanently ) It was years before I was able to come off drugs.
deal (in) drugs ( also supply drugs formal ) (= sell drugs ) He’s in jail for dealing drugs.
inject drugs (= use a needle to put drugs into your body ) People who share equipment for injecting drugs are at risk of contracting HIV.
be high on drugs (= be experiencing the effects of a drug ) He committed the crime while he was high on drugs.
drug + NOUN
drug use/abuse (= taking drugs ) She is being treated for drug abuse.
a drug user (= someone who takes drugs ) We set up a counselling service for drug users.
drug addiction (= the problem of not being able to stop taking drugs ) his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction
a drug addict (= someone who cannot stop taking drugs ) At 20 Steve was a drug addict, unemployed and lonely.
a drug problem (= the problem of being addicted to drugs ) His daughter has a drug problem.
a drug overdose (= taking too much of a drug at one time ) She died from a drug overdose.
a drug dealer/pusher (= someone who sells drugs ) The city’s streets are full of drug dealers.
a drug trafficker/smuggler (= someone involved in bringing drugs into a country ) US efforts against drug traffickers
drug trafficking/smuggling (= the crime of bringing drugs into a country ) The maximum penalty for drug smuggling was 25 years in jail.
the drug trade the international drug trade
the war on drugs (= a long struggle by the authorities to control drugs ) The war on drugs continues.
a drug charge (= a legal accusation that someone is guilty of having or selling drugs ) He’s awaiting trial on a drug charge.
a drug offence (= a crime related to having or selling drugs ) Luciani is serving 20 years for drug offences.
形容词
illegal drugs A lot of crime is connected to illegal drugs.
hard drugs ( also class A drugs British English ) (= strong drugs such as heroin, cocaine etc ) He was in prison for dealing hard drugs.
soft drugs (= less strong drugs such as marijuana ) Soft drugs are legal in some countries.
recreational drugs (= taken for pleasure ) Ecstasy was first used in Britain as a recreational drug in the 1980s.
designer drugs (= produced artificially from chemicals ) Designer drugs are highly addictive and can have unpredictable side effects.
COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ’ light drugs ‘. Say soft drugs .
Instead of ‘heavy drugs’, you usually say hard drugs .
THESAURUS
medicine 名词 [可数和不可数名词] a substance used for treating illness : Certain medicines should not be taken with alcohol. | Has he taken his medicine?
pill 名词 [可数名词] a small piece of medicine that you swallow : She managed to swallow the pill with a sip of water. | The doctor gave him some pills. | sleeping pills | diet pills | contraceptive pills
tablet 名词 [可数名词] especially British English a small piece of solid medicine : She’s now on four tablets a day. | a five-day course of tablets | sleeping tablets | anti-malaria tablets
antibiotics/aspirin/codeine etc : The doctor put him on a course of antibiotics. | Why don’t you take some aspirin? | The tablets contain codeine, which is unsuitable for people with asthma.
capsule 名词 [可数名词] a small tube-shaped container with medicine inside that you swallow whole : a bottle of 500 capsules of vitamin C | I advised her to take four to six garlic capsules a day for the duration of the treatment.
caplet 名词 [可数名词] a small smooth pill that is slightly longer than it is wide - used especially on bottles and containers : In small type, the consumer is warned not to take more than one caplet per day.
eye/ear drops liquid medicine that you put into your eye or ear : Remember — if you ’re using eye drops for your hay fever, leave your contact lenses out.
cream 名词 [可数和不可数名词] especially British English ( also lotion especially American English ) a thick smooth substance containing medicine, that you put on your skin : an antibiotic cream | antiseptic cream | skin cream
drug 名词 [可数名词] a medicine or a substance for making medicines : a drug used to treat malaria | There are a wide range of different drugs on the market.
dosage 名词 [可数名词,通常单数] the amount of medicine that you should take at one time : The dosage should be reduced to 0.5 mg. | It’s important to get the dosage right.
medication 名词 [可数和不可数名词] medicine or drugs given to someone who is ill : He takes medication for his diabetes. | She’s on medication (= taking medication ) , having suffered from depression for a number of years.