valetudinarianism

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val·e·tu·di·nar·i·an

(văl′ĭ-to͞od′n-âr′ē-ən, -tyo͞od′-)

A sickly or weak person, especially one who is constantly and morbidly concerned with his or her health.

adj.

1. Chronically ailing; sickly.

2. Constantly and morbidly concerned with one's health.

[From Latin valētūdinārius, from valētūdō, valētūdin-, state of health, from valēre, to be strong or well; see wal- in Indo-European roots.]

val′e·tu′di·nar′i·an·ism n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

valetudinarianism

1. a condition of poor health.
2. a state of being concerned with health, often excessively.
3. invalidism. — valetudinarian, n., adj.

See also: Disease and Illness

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Noun

valetudinarianism - the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age)

debility, feebleness, frailness, frailty, infirmity

unfitness, softness - poor physical condition; being out of shape or out of condition (as from a life of ease and luxury)

asthenia, astheny - an abnormal loss of strength

cachexia, cachexy, wasting - any general reduction in vitality and strength of body and mind resulting from a debilitating chronic disease

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References in periodicals archive ?

"We all know that 'mature' means on the verge of incontinence, idiocy and peevish valetudinarianism" (it means banging on about ill health).

Touchy Paxo isn't mature

We all know that 'mature' means on the verge of incontinence, idiocy and peevish valetudinarianism" - Broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, complaining that in some quarters the over-50s are regarded as "virtual corpses."

THEY SAY

In the Financial Times, he wrote: "We all know that 'mature' means on the verge of incontinence, idiocy and peevish valetudinarianism [being morbidly concerned with ill health].