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Glite Dictionary
adult respiratory distress syndrome

adult respiratory distress syndrome

1 7.4
A serious illness in which the lungs are damaged and fill with fluid so oxygen cannot reach the blood
  • noun
  • /əˈdʌlt ˌrɛspəˈrɑɪtəri dɪsˈtrɛs ˈsɪndroʊm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : síndrome de dificultad respiratoria del adulto
  • After being exposed to toxic fumes, he developed adult respiratory distress syndrome which required intensive care.

Examples

  • Patients suffering from adult respiratory distress syndrome may need ventilatory support due to their compromised lung function.

  • ARDS: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

    Academic text (2007)

  • Adult respiratory distress syndrome

    Academic text (2007)

  • The doctors diagnosed her with adult respiratory distress syndrome after she showed severe symptoms in the ICU.

Synonyms

ARDS
vsadult respiratory distress syndrome
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A severe lung condition that makes it hard to get enough oxygen to the body

focuses on stiff lungs and chemical exposure rather than infection as cause

How Serious

adult respiratory distress syndrome
  • Archaic
1 7.4
respiratory distress syndrome
  • Specialized
1 6.5
shortness of breath
  • Specialized
22 4.0

Surface Forms

adult respiratory distress syndrome singular
adult respiratory distress syndromes plural

Morphology

adult + respiratory + distress + syndrome

Each component contributes directly to the overall meaning: 'adult' limits the population, 'respiratory' specifies the breathing system, 'distress' indicates serious difficulty or suffering, and 'syndrome' denotes a set of symptoms. For a B1 learner who knows these constituent words, the phrase compositionally yields 'a set of breathing-related symptoms causing severe difficulty in adults', so the meaning is predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Adult respiratory distress syndrome literally names the problem: adult means a grown person, respiratory means the lungs and 'breathing', distress means severe 'trouble', and syndrome means a group of related symptoms. So the name helps you remember it is a serious condition when an adult's lungs cannot work well and they have great trouble breathing.