Phrase guide

decompression sickness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A sometimes fatal condition resulting from the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues, because of too rapid decompression, seen especially in deep-sea divers ascending rapidly from a dive. It is characterized by severe pains in the joints and chest, skin irritation, cramps, nausea, and paralysis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aeroembolism, aeroemphysema, the bends, caisson disease

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

pain resulting from rapid change in pressure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aeroembolism, air embolism, gas embolism, caisson disease, bends

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: illness, unwellness, malady, sickness

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: кесонна болест (kesonna bolest) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Catalan: malaltia de descompressió — condition from rapid decompression
  • Chinese Mandarin: 減壓病 /减压病 (jiǎnyābìng) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Chinese Mandarin: 减压症 (jiǎnyābìng) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Dutch: caissonziekte — condition from rapid decompression
  • Finnish: sukeltajantauti — condition from rapid decompression
  • Finnish: dekompressiotauti — condition from rapid decompression
  • Finnish: alipainetauti — condition from rapid decompression
  • French: maladie de décompression — condition from rapid decompression
  • French: maladie des caissons — condition from rapid decompression
  • French: accident de décompression — condition from rapid decompression
  • German: Dekompressionskrankheit — condition from rapid decompression
  • German: Caissonkrankheit — condition from rapid decompression
  • Hungarian: dekompressziós betegség — condition from rapid decompression
  • Hungarian: keszonbetegség — condition from rapid decompression
  • Japanese: 減圧症 (gen'atsushō) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Macedonian: кесонска болест (kesonska bolest) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Polish: choroba kesonowa — condition from rapid decompression
  • Polish: choroba dekompresyjna — condition from rapid decompression
  • Portuguese: doença de descompressão — condition from rapid decompression
  • Russian: декомпрессио́нная боле́знь (dekompressiónnaja boléznʹ) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Russian: кессо́нная боле́знь (kessónnaja boléznʹ) — condition from rapid decompression
  • Swedish: tryckfallssjuka — condition from rapid decompression
  • Swedish: dykarsjuka — condition from rapid decompression
  • Swedish: kassunsjuka — condition from rapid decompression
  • Thai: โรคน้ําหนีบ — condition from rapid decompression
  • Thai: น้ําหนีบ — condition from rapid decompression
  • Turkish: dekompresyon hastalığı — condition from rapid decompression
  • Turkish: vurgun — condition from rapid decompression