hypochondriac

1 of 2

adjective

hy·​po·​chon·​dri·​ac ˌhī-pə-ˈkän-drē-ˌak How to pronounce hypochondriac (audio)
1
2
anatomy : of, relating to, or being the two regions of the abdomen lying on either side of the epigastric region and above the lumbar regions

hypochondriac

2 of 2

noun

: a person who is often or always worried about his or her own health : a person affected by hypochondria or hypochondriasis
… comparing America's addiction to polls to a hypochondriac's obsessive monitoring of his pulse rate.Erica Goode
Although a self-avowed hypochondriac, he actually did suffer from a variety of ailments …Eugenia Zukerman

Examples of hypochondriac in a Sentence

Noun My brother is a real hypochondriac. Every time he reads about some new disease, he thinks he has it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Interviews with two of Clemente’s sons as well as his late wife Vera capture a man who was loving, dedicated and just a bit eccentric — a fight almost breaks out between two talking heads over whether or not Clemente was a hypochondriac — in a purely human way. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Danny is agoraphobic, socially anxious, obsessive, something of a hypochondriac and nominally a journalist, that most nominal of television professions. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023 In fact, patients tend to be more confident and less anxious — the opposite of the nervous hypochondriac stereotype — after participating in question-listing calls. Karen Sepucha, STAT, 5 Sep. 2023 Guesting on Saturday Night Live when everyone had COVID, having a hypochondriac moment on the set of Only Murders in the Building, and refusing adamantly to even attempt a rap with Freestyle Love Supreme. Vulture, 22 Apr. 2022
Noun
Read the full Virgo Daily Horoscope Libra (September 23 - October 22) Releasing your inner hypochondriac? USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 The hypochondriacs died about five years younger on average than those without hypochondriasis. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023 Over roughly nine months of observation, 268 hypochondriacs and 1,761 people without hypochondriasis died. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023 Unconscious anxieties bring out your inner hypochondriac as the moon and Pluto clash. USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023 People no longer view you as a hypochondriac. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2021 Her hypochondriac and pregnant mother, Alli Mauzey, is more invested in her recent carpel tunnel surgery than her daughter’s increasing demise. Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2023 It was written by Robert Hooke, then a 30-year-old hunchbacked, cantankerous, neurotic hypochondriac who was also a brilliant natural scientist, polymath and an original fellow of the society that published the book. Paul Falkowski, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2015 Kimberly’s pregnant mother is a hypochondriac; her best friend, Seth, loves anagrams and plays the tuba; and her aunt is trying to persuade her to commit some white-collar crimes. Diep Tran, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hypochondriac.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

earlier, "arising in the hypochondria (organs of the upper abdomen behind the ribs)," borrowed from Middle French hypochondriaque, borrowed from Medieval Latin hypochondriacus, borrowed from Greek hypochondriakós, from hypochóndria + -akos -ac — more at hypochondria

Noun

borrowed from Middle French hypochondriaque, noun derivative of hypochondriaque hypochondriac entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1639, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypochondriac was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near hypochondriac

Cite this Entry

“Hypochondriac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypochondriac. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hypochondriac

noun
hy·​po·​chon·​dri·​ac
ˌhī-pə-ˈkän-drē-ˌak
: a person who has hypochondria

Medical Definition

hypochondriac

1 of 2 adjective
hy·​po·​chon·​dri·​ac -drē-ˌak How to pronounce hypochondriac (audio)
1
2
a
: situated below the costal cartilages
b
: of, relating to, or being the two abdominal regions lying on either side of the epigastric region and above the lumbar regions

hypochondriac

2 of 2 noun
: an individual affected with hypochondria or hypochondriasis
A person can be said to be a hypochondriac when his or her preoccupation with health or disease is so intense that it disrupts normal living habits and is disproportionate to any medical problems that actually exist.People Weekly
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