Hypochondriac
/ˌhaɪp.əˈkɒn.dri.æk/noun
A person who is excessively anxious about their health or believes they are ill without sufficient cause.
Did you know?The word entered English through the old medical theory that the hypochondria were the upper abdominal regions thought to be a seat of melancholy, which is why a term for a body area became a word for nervous illness.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑποχόνδριος (hypochóndrios)
“Situated under the cartilage, especially below the ribs”
Late Greek / Latin
Greek/Latin
hypochondria
“The upper abdomen beneath the ribs; in ancient medical usage, a region associated with bodily humors and melancholy”
16th Century
English
hypochondria
“A disorder or condition thought to arise from the hypochondria, especially melancholy or chronic ill health”
17th–18th Century
English
hypochondriac
“A person affected by hypochondria; later, someone excessively preoccupied with imagined illness”
Modern English
English
hypochondriac
“A person with persistent, excessive fear of having a serious illness”
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