Cacesthesia
/ˌkæk.ɛsˈθiː.zi.ə/noun
Abnormal or impaired sensation, especially unpleasant bodily feeling.
Did you know?Cacesthesia comes from Greek kakos (“bad”) + aisthēsis (“perception, sensation”), the same root behind aesthetics — so “beauty” and “bad feeling” are secret cousins.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kakós
“bad, evil, ugly”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aísthēsis
“perception, sensation”
Late 19th Century
English
cacesthesia
“a medical term for abnormal or unpleasant sensation”
Modern English
English
cacesthesia
“abnormal or impaired sensation”
Explore more surprising origins