noun
intolerance
Inability to tolerate a substance without adverse physical effects.
Her lactose intolerance causes stomach cramps when she drinks milk.
Etymology
The negative prefix reverses tolerance, the capacity to endure or bear something. In physiology, intolerance is an inability to handle a substance without an adverse reaction.
More examples
- Food intolerances can make meal planning difficult.
- His intolerance to caffeine keeps him from drinking regular coffee.
- The doctor checks whether an intolerance to the medication explains her nausea.
Forms
intolerance · intolerances
intolerant adjective — Unable to tolerate a substance without symptoms.
tolerance noun — Ability to withstand a substance's physical effects.
Similar words
- sensitivity
- Emphasizes a heightened physical response rather than inability to tolerate.
- allergy
- Specifically involves an immune reaction, unlike many food intolerances.