allergy

al·ler·gy
A1L1L1E1R1G2Y4
/ˈæl.əɹ.d͡ʒi/UK[ˈæl.ə.dʒi]US[ˈæl.ɚ.d͡ʒi]

noun

A disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and associated with atopy, anaphylaxis, and asthma; any condition of hypersensitivity to a substance.

“He has an allergy to reality TV.”

Similar
intolerancetype 1 hypersensitivityallergic reaction
OriginGerman Allergie ← Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon) ← Proto-Hellenic *wérgon →
CommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounallergy (plural allergies)

plural allergies

  1. broadlyimmunologyA disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and associated with atopy, anaphylaxis, and asthma; any condition of hypersensitivity to a substance.

    My dad can't live with pets because of an allergy.

    1. broadlystrictlyimmunologySpecifically, hypersensitivity of class I in the modern classification thereof: the immunoglobulin E–mediated type.

      Synonyms: intolerance

  2. figurativelyinformalAn antipathy, as toward a person or activity.

    He has an allergy to reality TV.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSpecifically, hypersensitivity of class I in the modern classification thereof: the immunoglobulin E–mediated type.

Similar
intolerance

disorder of the immune system

Similar
type 1 hypersensitivity
Broader
hypersensitivity

More synonyms by meaning

nounhypersensitivity reaction to a particular allergen; symptoms can vary greatly in intensity

Similar
allergic reaction
Broader
hypersensitivity reaction
Also see
type 1 hypersensitivity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élyos
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ál͏̌l͏̌os
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓́λλος (ắllos)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*werǵ-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*wérǵom
  7. Proto-Hellenic*wérgon
  8. Ancient Greekἔργον (érgon)
  9. GermanAllergie
  10. Englishallergy

Borrowed from German Allergie. Coined by Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 from Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work, activity”), on the model of Energie.

More words from German, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَرَجِيَّة, حَسَّاسِيَّة
  • أَرَجِيَّة (ʔarajiyya)hypersensitivity
  • حَسَّاسِيَّة (ḥassāsiyya)hypersensitivity
  • أَرَجِيَّة (ʔarajiyya)disorder of the immune system
  • حَسَّاسِيَّة (ḥassāsiyya)disorder of the immune system
Basque alergia
  • alergiadisorder of the immune system
Bengali এলার্জি
  • এলার্জি (elarji)disorder of the immune system
Bulgarian але́ргия
  • але́ргия (alérgija)disorder of the immune system
Catalan al·lèrgia, al·lèrgia
  • al·lèrgiaantipathy
  • al·lèrgiadisorder of the immune system
Chinese Mandarin 過敏 /过敏, 過敏 /过敏
  • 過敏 /过敏 (guòmǐn)hypersensitivity
  • 過敏 /过敏 (guòmǐn)disorder of the immune system
Czech alergie, alergie
  • alergieantipathy
  • alergiedisorder of the immune system
Danish allergi
  • allergidisorder of the immune system
Dutch allergie, allergie
  • allergiehypersensitivity
  • allergieantipathy
  • allergiedisorder of the immune system
Esperanto alergio
  • alergiodisorder of the immune system
Estonian allergia
  • allergiadisorder of the immune system
Finnish allergia, allergia
  • allergiahypersensitivity
  • allergiaaltered susceptibility
  • allergiaantipathy
  • allergiadisorder of the immune system
French allergie, allergie
  • allergiehypersensitivity
  • allergieantipathy
  • allergiedisorder of the immune system
German Allergie, Allergie
  • Allergiehypersensitivity
  • Allergieantipathy
  • Allergiedisorder of the immune system
Greek αλλεργία
  • αλλεργία (allergía)disorder of the immune system
Hebrew אַלֶרגִיָה
  • אַלֶרגִיָה (alérgiya)disorder of the immune system
Hindi एलर्जी
  • एलर्जी (elarjī)disorder of the immune system
Hungarian allergia, allergia
  • allergiaantipathy
  • allergiadisorder of the immune system
Icelandic ofnæmi
  • ofnæmidisorder of the immune system
Indonesian alergi
  • alergidisorder of the immune system
Irish ailléirge, ailléirge
  • ailléirgehypersensitivity
  • ailléirgedisorder of the immune system
Italian allergia
  • allergiadisorder of the immune system
Japanese アレルギー, アレルギー
  • アレルギー (arerugī)hypersensitivity
  • アレルギー (arerugī)altered susceptibility
  • アレルギー (arerugī)antipathy
  • アレルギー (arerugī)disorder of the immune system
Korean 알레르기, 알레르기
  • 알레르기 (allereugi)hypersensitivity
  • 알레르기 (allereugi)altered susceptibility
  • 알레르기 (allereugi)disorder of the immune system
Latvian alerģija
  • alerģijadisorder of the immune system
Lithuanian alergija
  • alergijadisorder of the immune system
Malay alahan, alergi
  • alahandisorder of the immune system
  • alergidisorder of the immune system
Māori mate pāwera, mate pāwera
  • mate pāwerahypersensitivity
  • mate pāweradisorder of the immune system
  • mate tūtohudisorder of the immune system
Norwegian Bokmål allergi
  • allergidisorder of the immune system
Polish alergia, alergia
  • alergiahypersensitivity
  • alergiaantipathy
  • awersjaantipathy
  • uczulenieantipathy
  • uczuleniedisorder of the immune system
  • alergiadisorder of the immune system
Portuguese alergia, alergia
  • alergiahypersensitivity
  • alergiaantipathy
  • ojerizaantipathy
  • antipatiaantipathy
  • alergiadisorder of the immune system
Romanian alergie, alergie
  • alergiehypersensitivity
  • alergiedisorder of the immune system
Russian аллерги́я, аллерги́я
  • аллерги́я (allergíja)hypersensitivity
  • аллерги́я (allergíja)altered susceptibility
  • аллерги́я (allergíja)antipathy
  • аллерги́я (allergíja)disorder of the immune system
Slovak alergia
  • alergiadisorder of the immune system
Spanish alergia, alergia
  • alergiahypersensitivity
  • alergiadisorder of the immune system
Swedish allergi, allergi
  • allergialtered susceptibility
  • allergiantipathy
  • allergidisorder of the immune system
Tagalog taluramdam, taluhiyang
  • taluramdamdisorder of the immune system
  • taluhiyangdisorder of the immune system
  • alerhiyadisorder of the immune system
  • alerdyidisorder of the immune system
Tamil ஒவ்வாமை, அலர்ஜி
  • ஒவ்வாமை (ovvāmai)disorder of the immune system
  • அலர்ஜி (alarji)disorder of the immune system
Thai ภูมิแพ้
  • ภูมิแพ้ (puum-pɛ́ɛ)disorder of the immune system
Turkish alerji
  • alerjidisorder of the immune system
Ukrainian алергі́я
  • алергі́я (alerhíja)disorder of the immune system
Urdu اَلَرْجی
  • اَلَرْجی (alarjī)disorder of the immune system
Vietnamese dị ứng
  • dị ứngdisorder of the immune system
Yiddish אַלערגיע
  • אַלערגיע (alergye)disorder of the immune system

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

gallerylargelyregallyAllgyer
Cite this entry
APA

allergy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allergy

MLA

“allergy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allergy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “allergy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allergy.

Source: allergy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.