as in illness
unusual or excessive concern about your health; a tendency to fear or imagine that you have illnesses that you do not actually have
She fueled her hypochondria by reading articles about rare diseases.
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Recent Examples of hypochondria
In fact, contrary to popular opinion, studies show that singletons are not at significantly higher risk of developing adverse personality traits like narcissism or hypochondria.
—
Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
Jenner joined Owen Thiele on the January 9 edition of his podcast, In Your Dreams, where their conversation ranged from her first modeling jobs and growing up famous, to her hypochondria, anxiety, and beauty regimen.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Illness Anxiety Disorder Colloquially, a constant concern for health is known as hypochondria.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
Referrals to mental health professionals who treat hypochondria with cognitive behavioral therapy or medications the Food and Drug Administration has approved for treating hypochondria will create a realistic approach to addressing and validating people living with hypochondria.
—Hal Rosenbluth, STAT, 17 June 2024
She’s got your backs, opening with the moment her own lifelong, free-range hypochondria probably began — when a sweet high school classmate suddenly died of Hodgkin’s disease.
—Joan Frank, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023
Tindaro’s perfect pedigree as an eligible bachelor is undermined by his insufferable attitude, rampant hypochondria, and blunt disdain for women.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 14 Dec. 2022
Early on, many doctors, predictably, dismissed these cases as the result of anxiety or hypochondria.
—Meghan O'Rourke, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2021
Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
Jenner joined Owen Thiele on the January 9 edition of his podcast, In Your Dreams, where their conversation ranged from her first modeling jobs and growing up famous, to her hypochondria, anxiety, and beauty regimen.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Illness Anxiety Disorder Colloquially, a constant concern for health is known as hypochondria.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
Referrals to mental health professionals who treat hypochondria with cognitive behavioral therapy or medications the Food and Drug Administration has approved for treating hypochondria will create a realistic approach to addressing and validating people living with hypochondria.
—Hal Rosenbluth, STAT, 17 June 2024
She’s got your backs, opening with the moment her own lifelong, free-range hypochondria probably began — when a sweet high school classmate suddenly died of Hodgkin’s disease.
—Joan Frank, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023
Tindaro’s perfect pedigree as an eligible bachelor is undermined by his insufferable attitude, rampant hypochondria, and blunt disdain for women.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 14 Dec. 2022
Early on, many doctors, predictably, dismissed these cases as the result of anxiety or hypochondria.
—Meghan O'Rourke, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypochondria
Noun
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The district is encouraging families to monitor their children for any signs of illness.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Miami was missing guard Norman Powell for the third straight game due to an illness and Boston was missing center Nikola Vucevic because of a finger injury.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eventually an eye infection took her to a doctor who diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Scientists were searching for a new breed of pear tree resistant to a nasty fungus called fire blight, a disease that can decimate crops.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While 88% of companies report regular AI use, according to McKinsey, adoption may be stalling as a result of employees’ anxiety around the technology displacing them from their jobs.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Noise pollution is a real health issue linked to sleep disorders, elevated blood pressure and anxiety.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The symptoms of our darkest cultural sicknesses become visible.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Chee grimaces in pain from his ghost sickness wounds, and Manuelito notices.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hypochondria.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypochondria. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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