hypochondriac

[ hahy-puh-kon-dree-ak ]

adjective

1. Psychiatry.
   1. relating to, having, or experiencing hypochondria, an excessive preoccupation with or anxiety about one's health:

      This biography of the poet paints him as a hypochondriac depressive.

   2. produced by an excessive preoccupation with or anxiety about one's health:

      Hypochondriac feelings overwhelmed her.

2. exhibiting excessive worry about one's health:

   Her hypochondriac roommate had been convinced that their apartment was killing them with black mold.

3. Anatomy, Zoology. of or relating to the hypochondrium.

noun

1. Psychiatry. a person experiencing or subject to hypochondria.
2. a person who worries or talks excessively about their health.

hypochondriac

/ ˌhaɪpəˈkɒndrɪˌæk /

noun

1. a person suffering from hypochondria

adjective

1. relating to or suffering from hypochondria
2. anatomy of or relating to the hypochondrium

hypochondriac

1. A person who constantly believes he or she is ill or about to become ill.

Derived Forms

• ˌhypochonˈdriacally, adverb

Other Words From

• hy·po·chon·dri·a·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypochondriac¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from New Latin hypochondriacus, from Greek hypochondriakós “affected in the upper abdomen”; See hypochondria, -ac

Example Sentences

Winslet’s chancellor is a nervy, vulgar, insecure hypochondriac obsessed with her dead demanding father, a sly reference, perhaps, to France’s Marine Le Pen.

From New York Times

Elena is a hypochondriac and an agoraphobe, and Winslet said that, from a political standpoint, her character “absolutely has moments of just making stuff up.”

From New York Times

Doctors “called me a hypochondriac and said it was just anxiety and depression,” said Hannah Powell, a 26-year-old Utah woman who went undiagnosed for five years.

From Washington Times

Doctors “called me a hypochondriac and said it was just anxiety and depression,” said Hannah Powell, a 26-year-old Utah woman who went undiagnosed for five years.

From Seattle Times

Hippo was once a slang term for a hypochondriac, and this town in Kentucky was named in the early 1900s after resident Bee Madison Craft, who was known for being an epic complainer, according to Robert Rennick’s 1987 book Kentucky Place Names.

From National Geographic