View synonyms for side effect

side effect

or side-ef·fect

noun

any effect of a drug, chemical, or other medicine that is in addition to its intended effect, especially an effect that is harmful or unpleasant.
any accompanying or consequential and usually detrimental effect:
the side effects of air pollution.

side effect

See aftereffect
any unwanted nontherapeutic effect caused by a drug Compare aftereffect
any secondary effect, esp an undesirable one

First recorded in 1880–85

But millions of rules result in perpetual error, and, as a terminal side effect, make leadership and accomplishment illegal.

“It was a weird side effect of the cold medicine,” he told me once.

It helps to maintain good posture while doing this—a nice side effect.

One predicted side effect of inflation is primordial gravitational waves: twisty ripples in the structure of the Universe.

Halpern prescribes the medi-meth for patients who get recurrent urinary-tract infections—a side effect from Adderall or Ritalin.

Any complex system is sport for a hacker; a side effect of this is the hacker's natural affinity for problems involving security.

April 24, 2024gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

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