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God's medicine

Historical slang for opium, reflecting both the drug's powerful pain-relieving qualities and its divine connotations in various cultures, particularly through the ancient association of poppies with sleep and death.

ˈɡɑdz ˈmɛdəsən45 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

Historical slang for opium, reflecting both the drug's powerful pain-relieving qualities and its divine connotations in various cultures, particularly through the ancient association of poppies with sleep and death. The phrase captures the reverence with which opium was regarded in an era before widespread understanding of addiction.

The laudanum they gave him was known colloquially as God's medicine, and within a month he couldn't do without it.
Origin: Figurative: opium was called God's medicine because of its extraordinary pain-relieving power, elevating it to a quasi-divine remedy. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(slang) The drug opium.

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