pill
(pɪl )
Word forms: pills
1. countable noun B1+
Pills are small solid round masses of medicine or vitamins that you swallow without chewing.
Why do I have to take all these pills?
...sleeping pills.
2. singular noun
If a woman is on the pill, she takes a pill that prevents her from becoming pregnant.
She had been on the pill for three years.
...the contraceptive pill.
3. a bitter pill phrase
If a person or group has to accept a failure or an unpleasant piece of news, you can say that it was a bitter pill or a bitter pill to swallow.
You're too old to be given a job. That's a bitter pill to swallow.
4. sweeten the pill phrase
If someone does something to sweeten the pill or sugar the pill, they do it to make some unpleasant news or an unpleasant measure more acceptable.
He sweetened the pill by increasing wages, although by slightly less than he raised prices.
Image of pill
© MR.ANUWAT, Shutterstock
Idioms:
a bitter pill to swallow
a difficult or unpleasant fact or situation that has to be accepted
This defeat, though, was the most bitter pill to swallow.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
sugar the pill [British] or sweeten the pill
to try to make bad news or an unpleasant situation more acceptable for someone by giving them or telling them something good or pleasant at the same time
He wants 2,000 staff to be transferred to a spin-off company, and the incentives could sugar the pill for those worried about losing their jobs.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
swallow a bitter pill
to accept a difficult or unpleasant fact or situation
Our people have swallowed a bitter pill in accepting this peace agreement.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Collocations:
placebo pill prescription pill
In the trial, 6,505 patients from 37 countries were randomly assigned ivabradine tablets twice daily, or a placebo pill, as well as standard treatments.
Times, Sunday Times
Well, taking the placebo pill didn't have any impact — the volunteers all felt less alert in the afternoon than in the morning.
Times, Sunday Times
One group was given a daily dose of combined hormone therapy (oestrogen and progestogen) and the other received a placebo pill.
Times, Sunday Times
Half of the volunteers were given a 200mg caffeine tablet (roughly equivalent to a cup of strong coffee), while the others were given a placebo pill.
Times, Sunday Times
Notably, there has been much debate of whether to use a placebo pill or conduct a sham procedure as a control.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
If it's prescription pill bottles, it's nursing homes.
Smithsonian
Empty prescription pill bottles were said to be at the scene.
The Sun
He was said to be taking at least eight different prescription pills a day that should not be taken together.
ST
Her inventory of scavenged and obsolete materials includes worn shoes, lost socks, broken umbrellas, discarded lottery tickets, and prescription pill bottles, all of which she accumulates in massive quantities.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Prescription pills and branded medicines have the illusion of legitimacy.
Times, Sunday Times
Translations:
Chinese: 药丸
Japanese: 丸薬
- resort
- resort area
- resort boasts
- resort complex
- resort destination
- resort facilities
- resort offers
- resort property
- resort restaurant
- resort village
- resound
- resounding
- resounding defeat
- resounding failure
- resoundingly
- resounding silence
- resounding success
- resounding victory
- resource
- resource allocation
- resource capability
- resource conservation
- resource consumption
- resourced
- resource development