fen-phen

English

Alternative forms

• phen-fen, fen/phen, phen/fen

Etymology

Blend of fenfluramine +‎ phentermine, from the initial syllables of the two drugs.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛnfɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛn

Noun

fen-phen (uncountable)

1. (pharmacology, medicine) A combination of the drugs fenfluramine and phentermine, formerly prescribed for weight loss.
   • 2023 October 9, Tressie McMillan Cottom, “Ozempic Can’t Fix What Our Culture Has Broken”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     It is hard to recall the last time a drug so excited the general public. Fen-phen in the 1990s, maybe? Viagra or Botox in the 2000s? Each had amazing hype cycles but none as explosive as Ozempic.

Synonyms

• fenfluramine/phentermine
• fenfluramine-phentermine
• phentermine/fenfluramine
• phentermine-fenfluramine

 

Coordinate terms

high-profile pop-cultural weight-loss medications

• semaglutide

 

Anagrams

• phen-fen