heroin
noun
her·o·in
ˈher-ə-wən 
ˈhe-rə-
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
Examples of heroin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Previously, hemp was classified as a Schedule 1 drug alongside marijuana and other heavy drugs like heroin and methamphetamemes.
—
Greta Cross, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Angel Gregorio Ruiz Tejeda, who was previously convicted of trafficking heroin in Massachusetts, was arrested by ICE in Boston, while Andreson Mejia Pimentel was arrested by ICE in Lawrence, having previously been convicted in Worcester of fentanyl distribution in 2021.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
It’s classified as a Schedule 1 drug like heroin and LSD, other drugs with high potential for abuse.
—Meena Duerson, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
From public health crisis to national security threat Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
Fentanyl first began to spread as a street drug in the U.S. in 2012, displacing heroin and prescription pain pills as the most dangerous opioid sold by criminal gangs.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
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Greta Cross, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Angel Gregorio Ruiz Tejeda, who was previously convicted of trafficking heroin in Massachusetts, was arrested by ICE in Boston, while Andreson Mejia Pimentel was arrested by ICE in Lawrence, having previously been convicted in Worcester of fentanyl distribution in 2021.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
It’s classified as a Schedule 1 drug like heroin and LSD, other drugs with high potential for abuse.
—Meena Duerson, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
From public health crisis to national security threat Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
Fentanyl first began to spread as a street drug in the U.S. in 2012, displacing heroin and prescription pain pills as the most dangerous opioid sold by criminal gangs.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heroin
Cite this Entry
“Heroin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroin. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heroin
noun
her·o·in
ˈher-ə-wən
: a strongly addictive drug made from the opium poppy and stronger than morphine
Medical Definition
heroin
noun
her·o·in
ˈher-ə-wən
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the United States but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
called also acetomorphine, diacetylmorphine, diamorphine
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