pill

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈpil How to pronounce pill (audio)
pilled; pilling; pills
Synonyms of pillnext

intransitive verb

dialectal, chiefly England : to come off in flakes or scales : peel

transitive verb

1
archaic : to subject to depredation or extortion
2
dialect : to peel or strip off

pill

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a usually medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
b
or Pill : birth control pill
—usually used with the
2
: something repugnant or unpleasant that must be accepted or endured
3
: something resembling a pill in size or shape
4
: a disagreeable or tiresome person

pill

3 of 3

verb (2)

pilled; pilling; pills

transitive verb

1
: to dose with pills
2
: blackball

intransitive verb

: to become rough with or mat into little balls
brushed woolens often pill

Synonyms of pill

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Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of pill in a Sentence

Noun She took a pill for her headache. The drug is available as a pill or a liquid.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The material doesn’t pill and has held up after countless washes. — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026 These are less likely to pill or tear because of the strength of their weave. — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026
Noun
Supplement type Gone are the days when the only supplement option was taking a pill the size of a grape. — Pubsubhub User, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Also on Wednesday, CVS announced a new collaboration with Eli Lilly that will make its obesity injection Zepbound and new weight loss pill Foundayo accessible to eligible patients on the CVS Health app. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pill

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English pilen, pillen, partly from Old English pilian to peel, partly from Anglo-French piler to rob

Noun

Middle English pylle, from Anglo-French pile & Middle Dutch pille, both ultimately from Latin pilula, from diminutive of pila ball

First Known Use

Verb (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1736, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pill was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing pill

Rhymes for pill

See All Rhymes for pill

Browse Nearby Words

Pilipino
pill
pillage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pill. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pill

1 of 2 noun
ˈpil How to pronounce pill (audio)
1
a
: medicine or a food supplement in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
b
often capitalized : an oral contraceptive
—usually used with the
2
: something resembling a pill in shape or size
3
: something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured
4
: an unpleasant or tiresome person

pill

2 of 2 verb
of a garment
: to develop small balls of fiber on the surface because of wear

Medical Definition

pill

noun
ˈpil How to pronounce pill (audio)
1
: a usually medicinal or dietary preparation in a small rounded mass to be swallowed whole
2
often capitalized : birth control pill
—usually used with the
has been on the pill for three years

More from Merriam-Webster on pill

Nglish: Translation of pill for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pill

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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