valetudinary

Thân thiện

A man with a valetudinary disposition rests in a sunny garden.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Pertaining to or characteristic of a valetudinarian: Describes a person who is excessively concerned with their own health and ailments, often to the point of being weak or sickly. It denotes a state of being chronically or excessively focused on one's health, real or imagined.

Usage

This is a formal and somewhat archaic adjective. It is used to describe a person's character, habits, or condition, specifically their preoccupation with ill health. * It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb). * It carries a connotation of excessive and often self-absorbed concern.

Examples

• His valetudinary habits, involving constant self-diagnosis and a cabinet full of tonics, exhausted his friends.
• The author's later years were marked by a valetudinary existence, rarely leaving his room.
• She became increasingly valetudinary, convinced every minor ache was a sign of serious illness.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used in a historical or literary context to describe characters or figures known for their hypochondria or delicate health.
• It can imply a psychological state as much as a physical one, suggesting the condition is partly self-induced or exaggerated.

Variants and Related Words

• Valetudinarian (noun): A person who is excessively worried about their health; a hypochondriac.
  • The spa was a haven for wealthy valetudinarians.
• Valetudinarianism (noun): The state or condition of being a valetudinarian.
  • His valetudinarianism prevented him from enjoying life's simple pleasures.

Synonyms

• Hypochondriacal
• Health-obsessed
• Sickly (when referring to the resulting weak condition)
• Invalidish

Antonyms

• Robust
• Hale
• Healthy
• Vigorous

Học thuật

Adjective

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

Từ đồng nghĩa

• valetudinarian