noun · 4 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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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌhaɪpə(ʊ)ˈkɒndriə/
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌhaɪpoʊˈkɑndriə/
General-American:/ˌhaɪpəˈ-/
CMU ARPABET:HH AY2 P AH0 K AA1 N D R IY0 AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A formerly defined psychological disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. No longer a current medical diagnosis; see hypochondriasis for more.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
Examples
Near-synonym: hypochondriasis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hypochondriasis
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disorder, disease, condition
2
noun
Meaning 2
Melancholy; depression.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
plural of hypochondrium
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
chronic and abnormal anxiety about imaginary symptoms and ailments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hypochondriasis
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: anxiety, anxiousness
History
Etymology
From New Latin hypochondria (the morbid condition so called, supposed to have its seat in the upper part of the abdomen), from hypochondrium (see English hypochondrium for more).
Across languages
Translations
64 source translations are retained for this English entry.