valetudinarian

/'væli,tju:di'neəriən/

Thân thiện

A valetudinarian sits in a comfortable armchair, wrapped in a blanket and reading a health book.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A person who is chronically weak, sickly, or in poor health.
   • A person who is excessively and morbidly concerned with their own health and ailments; a hypochondriac.

2. Adjective:

   • Pertaining to or characteristic of a valetudinarian; sickly, infirm, or in poor health.
   • Excessively worried about one's health.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The old man was a valetudinarian who spent most of his days in bed.
  • She became a valetudinarian, constantly visiting different doctors for minor complaints.

• Adjective:

  • He led a valetudinarian existence, focused entirely on his various treatments.
  • Her valetudinarian concerns prevented her from enjoying life's simple pleasures.

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a connotation of being overly focused on minor or imagined illnesses, rather than simply describing someone who is genuinely and gravely ill.
• It can be used in a historical or literary context to describe a character type obsessed with health regimens and cures.

Variants and Related Words

• Valetudinarianism (noun): The state or condition of being a valetudinarian; excessive concern about one's health.
  • His life was ruled by valetudinarianism.

Synonyms

• Noun: Hypochondriac, invalid, sickly person, chronic complainer.
• Adjective: Infirm, sickly, hypochondriacal, health-obsessed.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• While there are no common idioms using "valetudinarian" itself, the concept is related to phrases like:
  • To be a hypochondriac: To be abnormally anxious about one's health.
  • To have a morbid fear of illness: To be excessively and unhealthily afraid of being sick.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. of or relating to or characteristic of a person who is a valetudinarian

Noun

1. weak or sickly person especially one morbidly concerned with his or her health

Từ đồng nghĩa

• valetudinary