: a person who is often or always worried about his or her own health : a person affected by hypochondria or hypochondriasis
… comparing America's addiction to polls to a hypochondriac's obsessive monitoring of his pulse rate. Erica Goode
Although a self-avowed hypochondriac, he actually did suffer from a variety of ailments … Eugenia Zukerman
Example Sentences
Noun My brother is a real hypochondriac. Every time he reads about some new disease, he thinks he has it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Instead of Williams’ crippled shut-in Laura fussing over her glass figurines in the absence of a husband or happy future, Durang’s version features Lawrence, a hypochondriac who prizes his collection of cocktail swizzle sticks.San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2021 Don’t worry about seeming like a pain or a hypochondriac.Essence, 2 Oct. 2021 Goosed along by Cliff Martinez’s ghostly electronic score, Soderbergh taps into our collective inner hypochondriac, making every character’s sniffle or rubbed eye bristle with potential danger. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 July 2021 As seen on the show, Todd is somewhat of a hypochondriac. Eileen Reslen, Country Living, 24 Aug. 2020 As with any adaptation, the script takes liberties: As Emma's hypochondriac father, Bill Nighy is sprightly, very nearly froggy. Ted Scheinman, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2020 People with traditionally hypochondriac tendencies usually have generalized anxiety about illnesses and symptoms, rather than about one particular disease. Jamie Ducharme, Time, 27 Feb. 2020 The best part: the hypochondriac is played by Asa Butterfield, one of my 10 underrated crushes of 2019. Kathleen Newman-bremang, refinery29.com, 14 June 2019 Sidney is a dashing antihero and Arthur a reserved hypochondriac. Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, 13 Jan. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
earlier, "arising in the hypochondria (organs of the upper abdomen behind the ribs)," borrowed from Middle French hypochondriaque, borrowed from Medieval Latin hypochondriacus, borrowed from Greek hypochondriakós, from hypochóndria + -akos-ac — more at hypochondria
Noun
borrowed from Middle French hypochondriaque, noun derivative of hypochondriaquehypochondriac entry 1