methamphetamine

M3E1T1H4A1M3P3H4E1T1A1M3I1N1E1
/ˌmɛθæmˈfɛtəˌmiːn//ˌmɛθæmˈfɛtəˌmɪn/

noun

A highly addictive phenethylamine stimulant drug. Its systematic (IUPAC) name is (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine.

“Near-synonyms: crystal meth, ice (formulation-specific nicknames); speed (also includes other similar drugs)”

Similar
methmethedrinecrankcrystal methicespeedchalkcrystal
OriginEnglish amphetamine ← Latin ammoniacus ← Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn) →
Less commonScrabble 29
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Meanings

nounmethamphetamine (countable and uncountable, plural methamphetamines)

plural methamphetamines · alternative metamfetamine

  1. countableuncountableA highly addictive phenethylamine stimulant drug. Its systematic (IUPAC) name is (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine.

    Near-synonyms: crystal meth, ice (formulation-specific nicknames); speed (also includes other similar drugs)

    2 more examples

    Methamphetamine is more potent than dexamphetamine which is in turn more potent than its racemate amphetamine.

    1960, J[ohn] J[acob] Lewis, “Central Nervous System Stimulants”, in An Introduction to Pharmacology, Edinburgh; London: E[dward] & S[tuart] Livingstone Ltd., →OCLC, page 288

    A cloud of smoke from two pounds of methamphetamine seized by the FBI and incinerated inside a Montana animal shelter sent its workers to the hospital, city officials in Billings said.

    2025 September 12, “Meth burn by FBI smokes out Montana animal shelter”, in CNN, sourced from Associated Press, archived from the original on 10 Oct 2025

    Synonyms: meth, methedrine, crank, crystal meth, ice, speed, chalk, crank

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA highly addictive phenethylamine stimulant drug. Its systematic (IUPAC) name is (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine.

Similar
methmethedrinecrankcrystal methicespeedchalkcrankcrystalcrystal methfireglassgo fastgo-fastgogoicejibmethmethedrine

More synonyms by meaning

nounan amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant

Similar
methamphetamine hydrochlorideMethedrinemethdeoxyephedrinechalkchicken feedcrankglassiceshabutrash
Broader
amphetaminepep pilluppercontrolled substance
Also see
chalkchicken feedcrankcrystal methdesoxyephedrineglassicemethmethamphetamine hydrochloridemethedrinepoor man's cocaineshabuspeedtrash

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*médʰu
  2. Proto-Hellenic*métʰu
  3. Ancient Greekμέθυ (méthu)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  5. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  6. GermanMethy
  7. Englishmethyl
  8. Englishmetho-
  9. Englishmeth-
  10. Proto-Semitic*ʔalp-
  11. Phoenician𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)
  12. Ancient Greekἄλφα (álpha)
  13. Proto-Semitic*bayt-
  14. Phoenician𐤁𐤕 (bt)
  15. Ancient Greekβῆτᾰ (bêtă)
  16. Ancient Greekἀλφάβητος (alphábētos)
  17. Medieval Greekἀλφάβητον (alphábēton)
  18. Classical Latinalphabētum
  19. Middle Englishalphabete
  20. Englishalphabet
  21. Englishalpha-
  22. Englishmethyl
  23. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  24. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  25. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  26. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  27. Frenchphéno-
  28. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  29. Frenchphényle
  30. Englishphenyl
  31. Englishpheno-
  32. Englishphen-
  33. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
  34. Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
  35. Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
  36. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
  37. Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
  38. Latinaethēr
  39. GermanÄther
  40. GermanEther
  41. GermanEthy
  42. Englishethyl
  43. Egyptianjmn
  44. Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
  45. LatinAmmōn
  46. Latinammoniacus
  47. Englishammonia
  48. Englishamine
  49. Englishethylamine
  50. Englishphenethylamine
  51. Englishmethylphenethylamine
  52. Englishalpha-methylphenethylamine
  53. Englishamphetamine
  54. Englishmethamphetamine

From meth- + amphetamine; 1945–1950.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans metamfetamien
  • metamfetamienthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Arabic ميثامفيتامين
  • ميثامفيتامينthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Catalan metamfetamina
  • metamfetaminathe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Chinese Mandarin 甲基苯丙胺, 甲基安非他命
  • 甲基苯丙胺 (jiǎjī běnbǐng'àn)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • 甲基安非他命 (jiǎjī'ānfēitāmìng)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • 冰毒 (bīngdú)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Czech pervitin, metamfetamin
  • pervitinthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • metamfetaminthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Dutch methamfetamine
  • methamfetaminethe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Estonian metamfetamiin
  • metamfetamiinthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Finnish metamfetamiini
  • metamfetamiinithe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
French méthamphétamine
  • méthamphétaminethe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
German Methamphetamin
  • Methamphetaminthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Greek μεθαμφεταμίνη
  • μεθαμφεταμίνη (methamfetamíni)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Hebrew מתאמפטמין
  • מתאמפטמיןthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Hungarian metamfetamin
  • metamfetaminthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Icelandic metamfetamín
  • metamfetamínthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Indonesian metamfetamin, shabu
  • metamfetaminthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • shabuthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • shabu-shabuthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • syabuthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • syabu-syabuthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Italian metanfetamina
  • metanfetaminathe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Japanese メタンフェタミン, ヒロポン
  • メタンフェタミン (metanfetamin)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • ヒロポン (hiropon)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Korean 메스암페타민, 히로뽕
  • 메스암페타민 (meseuampetamin)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • 히로뽕 (hiroppong)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Malay syabu
  • syabuthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Māori tioata whakaihi, pōau-pī
  • tioata whakaihithe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • pōau-pīthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Persian متآمفتامین
  • متآمفتامینthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Polish metamfetamina
  • metamfetaminathe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Portuguese metanfetamina
  • metanfetaminathe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Romanian metanfetamină
  • metanfetaminăthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Russian метамфетами́н
  • метамфетами́н (metamfetamín)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Spanish metanfetamina
  • metanfetaminathe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Swedish metamfetamin
  • metamfetaminthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Tagalog shabu, bato
  • shabuthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • batothe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Thai เมทเอมเฟตามีน, ไอซ์
  • เมทเอมเฟตามีน (méet-eem-fee-taa-miin)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
  • ไอซ์ (aís)the drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Turkish metamfetamin
  • metamfetaminthe drug (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine
Cite this entry
APA

methamphetamine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/methamphetamine

MLA

“methamphetamine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/methamphetamine. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “methamphetamine,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/methamphetamine.

Source: methamphetamine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.