# antidote

/ˈænɪˌdoʊt/ (US) · /ˈæntɪdˌəʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/antidote
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. medical remedy for poison

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a medicine that you take to stop a poison from hurting you.

For teachers: a substance that neutralises the effects of a specific poison or toxin within the body.

- The doctors quickly gave him the antidote after the snake bit him.
- Emergency protocols require the hospital to maintain a supply of the specific antidote for every venomous species native to the region.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'to' or 'for'.

### 2. a helpful solution

noun · CEFR B2

something that helps to stop or fix a bad feeling or situation.

For teachers: a figurative remedy that counteracts or prevents something harmful, unpleasant, or undesirable.

- A long walk in the park was the perfect antidote to a stressful day at work.
- The CEO argued that transparency was the only effective antidote to the growing culture of mistrust within the department.

Usage: Commonly follows the pattern 'antidote to [noun]'.

### 3. to counteract

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

to act against something bad to stop its effects.

For teachers: to counteract or neutralise something in the manner of a medical remedy.

- The new policy was designed to antidote the negative effects of the previous law.
- The philosopher sought to antidote the prevailing nihilism of his era through a rigorous re-examination of traditional ethics.

Teaching tip: The verb form is rare in modern speech; learners should focus on the noun form for daily use.

## Examples

- The doctor gave him an antidote for the snake bite.
- Regular exercise proved to be the perfect antidote to the stress of her demanding corporate job.
- While the immediate priority was administering a chemical antidote to the patient, the long-term recovery plan focused on psychological support to address the trauma of the accidental poisoning.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.