# doses

/ˈdoʊsəz/ (US) · /dˈəʊsɪz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/doses
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. amounts of medicine

noun · CEFR B1

measured amounts of a medicine that you take at one time.

For teachers: plural of 'dose'; specific, measured quantities of a therapeutic agent taken at one time or at stated intervals.

- The doctor told her to take two doses of the cough syrup every day.
- Clinical trials demonstrated that patients receiving smaller, more frequent doses experienced fewer side effects than those on the standard daily regimen.

Usage: Usually used with the preposition 'of'.

### 2. amounts of something unpleasant

noun · CEFR B2

an amount of something, often something you do not like, that you experience.

For teachers: plural of 'dose'; figurative use referring to an experience of something, typically something disagreeable or unavoidable.

- After several doses of bad luck, the team finally won a game.
- The documentary provides heavy doses of reality regarding the environmental impact of fast fashion on developing nations.

## Examples

- The doctor told me to take two doses of the syrup daily.
- Patients must complete the full course of antibiotics even if they feel better after the first few doses.
- The treatment plan requires carefully calibrated doses of the experimental drug to ensure efficacy while minimizing the risk of adverse side effects in the control group.

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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.