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Side Effect Meaning, Examples & Usage (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：unwanted medical effect (side effect)
side effect
/saɪd ɪˈfɛkt/
n.
An unwanted effect of a drug or medical treatment that happens in addition to the desired effect.
unwanted medical effect
➕
/ʌnˈwɒntɪd ˈmɛdɪkəl ɪˈfɛkt/
n.
An unintended and often negative physiological response caused by a medication or treatment, separate from the primary therapeutic action.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Side from Old English 'sīde'; effect from Latin 'effectus' (ex- 'out' + facere 'to do').
💡 Mnemonic
A 'side' dish that unexpectedly changes your meal's effect.
📖 Example
The medicine helped my allergy, but the side effect was that I felt very sleepy all day.
The medicine helped my allergy, but the side effect was that I felt very sleepy all day.
🔗 Collocations
common side effect – A frequently occurring adverse reaction
side effect profile – The range of potential adverse reactions of a drug
serious side effect – A severe and potentially dangerous adverse reaction
🔄 Synonyms
adverse reaction (n.) – A harmful or unintended response to a medication.
negative reaction (n.) – An undesirable physiological response.
complication (n.) – A secondary medical problem arising from treatment.
🚫 Antonyms
therapeutic effect (n.) – The intended beneficial effect of a treatment.
desired effect (n.) – The primary positive outcome sought.
📖 Cultural Story
The term 'side effect' emerged in 19th-century medicine for unintended treatment outcomes. Now widely used for any secondary consequence, positive or negative.
Meaning 2：unintended consequence (side effect)
side effect
/saɪd ɪˈfɛkt/
n.
An extra, often bad, thing that happens as a result of an action or decision, which was not the main aim.
unintended consequence
➕
/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛndɪd ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/
n.
An additional, often unforeseen, result of an action or decision that was not the primary goal, which can be positive or negative.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
A positive side effect of the new park is that it has brought the neighborhood community closer together.
A positive side effect of the new park is that it has brought the neighborhood community closer together.
🔗 Collocations
positive side effect – A beneficial unintended outcome
unforeseen side effect – An unexpected secondary result
economic side effect – A secondary financial consequence of a policy or action
🔄 Synonyms
secondary effect (n.) – An effect that occurs in addition to the main effect.
byproduct (n.) – A secondary result of a process or action.
ramification (n.) – A complex or unwelcome consequence of an action.
🚫 Antonyms
main effect (n.) – The primary intended outcome.
purpose (n.) – The reason for which something is done; the aim.
Wordbook
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