valetudinarian
9.9
A person who is often sick or too worried about their health
- noun
- /ˌvælɪtjuˈdɪnəriən/
- Formal
:
hipocondríaco
- After years of worrying about every little ache, he had become a true valetudinarian who couldn't enjoy his life.
Examples
-
She often visited the doctor for minor complaints, earning her the reputation of a valetudinarian among her friends.
-
He decides to skip the part where Acton claims that if one persists in such habits, he may become a drivelling idiot or a peevish valetudinarian.
Fiction book (1991) -
His constant concern for his health made him a valetudinarian, always discussing ailments and treatments at every gathering.
Synonyms
hypochondriac
vsvaletudinarian
19
7.5
A person who is very worried about their health even when doctors find nothing wrong
is often actually weak or sick rather than mainly imagining illness
How Health-Anxious
hypochondriac
19
7.5
19
7.5
valetudinarian
- Formal
Surface Forms
valetudinarian singular
valetudinarian plural
Etymology
Valetudinarian comes from the Latin valetudo ('health') and valere ('to be strong') and is related to the word valid. So a valetudinarian is a person who is often weak or who worries too much about their health.