noun
hypochondria
hy-puh-KAHN-dree-uh/ˌhaɪpəˈkɑːndriə/
Excessive anxiety about having a serious illness.
Her hypochondria makes even a mild headache feel like an emergency.
Etymology
“Under the cartilage” referred to the upper abdomen, whose organs were once believed to cause melancholy. The word shifted from that bodily region to melancholy, then narrowed to excessive fear of illness.
In context
With hypochondria, you become so hyper-aware of your body sensations, that you spend time in your head analyzing symptoms and figuring out what illness it belongs to.
More examples
- Therapy helps him manage his hypochondria.
- His hypochondria persists even after reassuring test results.
- Repeatedly checking symptoms online can make her hypochondria worse.
Forms
hypochondria
hypochondriac noun — A person excessively anxious about having illness.
Similar words
- health anxiety
- A broader term that can include less severe health worries.