hypochondriasis

noun

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hy·po·chon·dri·a·sis | \ ˌhī-pə-kən-ˈdrī-ə-səs

How to pronounce hypochondriasis (audio)

, -ˌkän- \

plural hypochondriases\ ˌhī-pə-kən-ˈdrī-ə-ˌsēz

, -ˌkän- \

Definition of hypochondriasis

: excessive concern about one's health especially when accompanied by imagined physical ailments specifically : illness anxiety disorder The diagnostic criteria for hypochondriasis also require that the patient's concern about illness persist for at least six months and cause clinically significant distress or functional impairment. — Arthur J. Barsky Hypochondria, known as hypochondriasis in medical terminology, is generally defined as abnormal preoccupation with one's health and a fear of having or getting a disease despite physical evidence to the contrary. — Jean Marbella

Examples of hypochondriasis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As a neurotic 27-year-old New Yorker with a cocktail of mental-health issues—anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and hypochondriasis—travel seemed impossible for most of my life. — Gilad Gamliel, Outside Online, 10 Feb. 2020 The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders replaced hypochondriasis with two alternatives: somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. — Emily Sohn, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hypochondriasis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near hypochondriasis

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Cite this Entry

“Hypochondriasis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypochondriasis. Accessed 25 Jun. 2022.

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