Word
opium
Phoneticsopi·um
US/ˈoʊpiəm/
UK/ˈəʊpiəm/
Definitions
01the narcotic drug
n. a strong, addictive drug made from the juice of certain poppy flowers.
n. an addictive narcotic drug prepared from the juice of the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy, containing alkaloids such as morphine.
“In the past, doctors sometimes used opium to treat very strong pain.”
“The 19th-century trade in opium had devastating social consequences, leading to widespread addiction and significant geopolitical conflicts between major powers.”
Technical
02something that numbs the mind
n. something that makes people feel calm or happy so they do not notice real problems.
n. a metaphorical influence that numbs the senses, pacifies the mind, or prevents people from taking action against injustice.
“Some critics say that social media has become the new opium of the people.”
“The philosopher argued that cheap entertainment acted as an opium for the masses, distracting them from the deteriorating economic conditions of their daily lives.”
Literary · Academic
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'opium of the people' or 'opium of the masses'.
Teaching tip
This sense is almost always a reference to Karl Marx's famous statement about religion; use it when discussing things that keep the public passive.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“While international attention has primarily focused on the vast region’s declining opium production, advanced criminal drug trafficking networks have successfully shifted toward manufacturing and exporting synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, commonly known as meth.” “The report also outlines how since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has become the world’s largest producer of opium and synthetic drugs, alongside a multi-billion-dollar scam industry and the unregulated mining of rare earth minerals.” Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sokʷós Ancient Greek ὀπός (opós) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ῐον (-ĭon) Ancient Greek ὄπιον (ópion)bor. Latin opiumbor. ▲ Ancient Greek ὄπιον (ópion)bor. English opium Borrowed from Latin opium and Ancient Greek ὄπιον (ópion), from ὀπός (opós, “juice of a plant”), from Proto-Indo-European *sokʷós (“juice, resin”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/opium