hypomania

noun

hy·​po·​ma·​nia ˌhī-pə-ˈmā-nē-ə 

-nyə

: a mild mania especially when part of bipolar disorder

hypomanic

ˌhī-pə-ˈma-nik 

adjective

Examples of hypomania in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In essays, Goodfellow details antidepressant-induced hypomania. —Michelle Pugle, Health, 23 Jan. 2023

But anabolic steroids are also associated with anxiety and major mood disorders, including mania, hypomania and major depression. —John Leland, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2023

And in fact, four people experienced temporary hypomania, i.e. abnormally elevated mood, which is usually seen in bipolar disorder, although none of the patients in this study had a history of bipolar. —Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2010

In 1977, five years before his death, Monk was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and hypomania. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2022

Godfrey's experience includes episodes of major depression and hypomania (milder than mania) characteristic of bipolar II. —Emily Strohm, PEOPLE.com, 9 Mar. 2022

While hypomania doesn't include psychosis, some people with bipolar 2 may take antipsychotic drugs if their depression involves hallucinations or delusions. —Ashley Abramson, Health.com, 2 Nov. 2021

Typically, hypomania doesn’t affect your ability to work, and episodes last about four days, according to the Cleveland Clinic8. —Ashley Abramson, SELF, 28 Oct. 2021

Bipolar II only involves episodes of hypomania and depression, the NIMH explains. —Korin Miller, SELF, 1 Nov. 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Hypomanie, from hypo- hypo- + -manie -mania

Note: Hypomanie was introduced by the German neurologist and psychologist Emanuel Mendel (1839-1907) in Die Manie: eine Monographie (Vienna/Leipzig, 1881), p. 38: "Unter diesen Umständen schlage ich, mit Rücksicht auf das schon von Hippokrates gebrauchte [Greek letters] 'hypomainomenai', vor, die Formen von Manie, die das typische Krankheitsbild derselben nur in geringer Entwicklung, gewissermassen abortiv, zeigen, als Hypomanie zu bezeichnen." ("Under these circumstances I suggest, taking into consideration [the expression] hypomainomenai already employed by Hippocrates, that the forms of mania in which typical features are only slightly developed, to a certain degree stillborn, be called hypomania.") Hippocrates' hypomainómenai is the plural participle of a verb hypomaínomai, hypomaínesthai, taken to mean "to be somewhat mad."

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hypomania

noun

hy·​po·​ma·​nia ˌhī-pə-ˈmā-nē-ə, -nyə 

: a mild mania especially when part of bipolar disorder