If someone suffers from hypochondria, they continually worry about their health and falsely imagine that they are ill.
Synonyms: hypochondriasis, valetudinarianism More Synonyms of hypochondria
hypochondria in British English
(ˌhaɪpəˈkɒndrɪə)
noun
chronic abnormal anxiety concerning the state of one's health, even in the absence of any evidence of disease on medical examination
Also called: hypochondriasis (ˌhaɪpəʊkɒnˈdraɪəsɪs), hypochondriasm (ˌhaɪpəˈkɒndrɪˌæzəm), illness anxiety disorder
Word origin
C18: from Late Latin: the abdomen, supposedly the seat of melancholy, from Greek hupokhondria, from hupokhondrios of the upper abdomen, from hypo- + khondros cartilage
hypochondria in American English
(ˌhaɪpəˈkɑndriə)
noun
abnormal anxiety over one's health, often with imaginary illnesses and severe melancholy
Word origin
ModL < LL, pl., abdomen (the supposed seat of the condition) < pl. of Gr hypochondrion, soft part of the body below the cartilage of the breastbone < hypo- (see hypo-) + chondros, cartilage, by dissimilation < -chrondros < IE *ghren- < base *gher-, to pulverize, rub hard > grind, ground1
Examples of 'hypochondria' in a sentence
hypochondria
When you are addressing hypochondria you have to have a wry smile.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But then he astounds me by confessing his own hypochondria.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Word lists with
hypochondria
Psychology terms
(noun)
Definition
abnormal anxiety concerning one's health
People with such ruminations often have a tendency towards hypochondria.