hypoxia

American  

[hahy-pok-see-uh] / haɪˈpɒk si ə /

noun

1. Biology. a very low level of oxygen, as in an organic environment.

   The fish have developed a tolerance to the hypoxia of the swamp.

2. Pathology. an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the body tissues.

   Premature newborns are routinely placed in incubators to treat or prevent hypoxia.

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hypoxia British  

/ haɪˈpɒksɪə, haɪˈpɒksɪk /

noun

1. deficiency in the amount of oxygen delivered to the body tissues

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Other Word Forms

• hypoxic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypoxia

First recorded in 1940–45; hyp- ( def. ) + oxy- ² ( def. ) + -ia ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does hypoxia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypoxia vs. hypoxemia
• hypoxia vs. anoxia
• hypoxia vs. ischemia

Example Sentences

Jain's lab has spent years studying hypoxia, the term for reduced oxygen levels in the blood, and its effects on metabolism.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

"She was in a critical condition, she was showing signs of hypoxia or oxygen deficiency. She had been bitten by insects and also some animal," Dr Kumar said.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

For example, Alabama law states that in death penalty cases, “lethal injection will be administered, unless the prisoner affirmatively chooses nitrogen hypoxia or electrocution.”

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2025

“Emergency room doctors discovered the boy had extremely low blood sugar levels and suffered from hypoxia and constant seizures.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025

In hindsight, Andy was acting irrationally and had plainly slipped well beyond routine hypoxia, but I was so mentally impeded myself that it simply didn’t register.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer