Anodyne

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.ə.daɪn/

Definitions

1. Something that soothes pain or reduces distress, often by being bland or inoffensive rather than genuinely healing
2. A remedy that provides relief from pain or distress and a gentle, uncontroversial approach that avoids provoking strong reactions or feelings
3. An agent that alleviates physical pain or discomfort ; something deliberately mild or unprovocative to avoid offense or conflict

Etymology: The noun sense, "a medicine that relieves pain," is the older and more literal one. It comes from Ancient Greek "anṓdunos," built from "an-," meaning "without," and "odúnē," meaning "pain." Medieval Latin took it up as "anōdynos," meaning "stilling or relieving pain," and it reached English through Middle English as "anodine." The sense of the word that most people now meet, something bland and unobjectionable, grew out of the same Greek root by a different route. That second sense arrived through French. The French "anodin" meant "harmless" or "trivial," and English writers borrowed that idea, so a remark or a film that offends no one came to be called anodyne. Its literal meaning is in a sense the reverse of the modern one: a painkiller takes away something troubling, while an anodyne comment takes away anything that might provoke a reaction at all.

Synonyms: painkiller, soothing, calming, relieving, comforting

Antonyms: painful, aggravating, disturbing, irritating, upsetting