hypochondriasis
noun
hy·po·chon·dri·a·sis
ˌhī-pə-kən-ˈdrī-ə-səs 
-ˌkän-
plural hypochondriases
ˌhī-pə-kən-ˈdrī-ə-ˌsēz
-ˌkän-
: 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
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
Jean Marbella Examples of hypochondriasis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s separate from health anxiety and is also referred to as hypochondriasis.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
Researchers also found that hypochondriasis can impact quality of life; people without hypochondriasis were more likely to be educated, married and make more money than hypochondriacs.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023
Over roughly nine months of observation, 268 hypochondriacs and 1,761 people without hypochondriasis died.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023
Hypochondria used to be called hypochondriasis.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2022
During medical school, hypochondriasis and disease obsessions ruled the day.
—Russell Johnson, STAT, 7 Feb. 2023
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
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Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
Researchers also found that hypochondriasis can impact quality of life; people without hypochondriasis were more likely to be educated, married and make more money than hypochondriacs.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023
Over roughly nine months of observation, 268 hypochondriacs and 1,761 people without hypochondriasis died.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023
Hypochondria used to be called hypochondriasis.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2022
During medical school, hypochondriasis and disease obsessions ruled the day.
—Russell Johnson, STAT, 7 Feb. 2023
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
Cite this Entry
“Hypochondriasis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypochondriasis. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hypochondriasis
noun
hy·po·chon·dri·a·sis
-ˈdrī-ə-səs
plural hypochondriases
-ˌsēz
: 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, The New England Journal of Medicine
Arthur J. Barsky, The New England Journal of Medicine Love words? Need even more definitions?
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