Meanings
plural hypochondriases
- countableuncountablemedicineA mental disorder (in some classifications of such disorders, including ICD-11) characterized by a persistent preoccupation with having or developing a serious illness, despite the absence of significant physical symptoms or evidence of disease.
Near-synonym: hypochondria
1 more example
Most individuals who previously would have been diagnosed with hypochondriasis in DSM-IV [1994] (preoccupation with having a serious disease based on the individual’s misinterpretation of bodily symptoms) are now classified as having somatic symptom disorder; however, in one-third of cases, the diagnosis of illness anxiety disorder applies instead.
2022, American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5-TR: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision, American Psychiatric Association, →ISBN, page 1463Synonyms: illness anxiety disorder, hypochondria
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA mental disorder (in some classifications of such disorders, including ICD-11) characterized by a persistent preoccupation with having or developing a serious illness, despite the absence of significant physical symptoms or evidence of disease.
More synonyms by meaning
nounchronic and abnormal anxiety about imaginary symptoms and ailments
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From New Latin; by surface analysis, hypochondr(ium) + -iasis. See also hypochondria, hypochondrium, and Wikipedia at hypochondriasis § Etymology.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian хипохо́ндрия
- хипохо́ндрия (hipohóndrija)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Chinese Mandarin 疑病症, 疑病性神經症 /疑病性神经症
- 疑病症 (yíbìngzhèng)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
- 疑病性神經症 /疑病性神经症 (yíbìngxìng shénjīngzhèng)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Czech hypochondrie
- hypochondrieexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Dutch hypochondrie
- hypochondrieexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Esperanto hipoĥondrio
- hipoĥondrioexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Finnish hypokondria
- hypokondriaexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
French hypocondrie
- hypocondrieexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
German Hypochondrie
- Hypochondrieexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Hebrew היפוכונדריה
- היפוכונדריה (hipukhóndria)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Irish hipeacoindriáis
- hipeacoindriáisexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Italian ipocondria
- ipocondriaexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Japanese 心気症, 病気不安症
- 心気症 (shinkishō)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
- 病気不安症 (byōki-fuanshō)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Polish hipochondria
- hipochondriaexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Portuguese hipocondria
- hipocondriaexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Russian ипохо́ндрия
- ипохо́ндрия (ipoxóndrija)excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Spanish hipocondría
- hipocondríaexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Swedish hypokondri
- hypokondriexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Thai โรคคิดว่าตนป่วย
- โรคคิดว่าตนป่วยexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Turkish hipokondriya
- hipokondriyaexcessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness
Cite this entry
hypochondriasis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypochondriasis
“hypochondriasis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypochondriasis. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypochondriasis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypochondriasis.
Source: hypochondriasis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.