valetudinarian
UK: ˌvælɪˌtjuːdɪˈneəriən | US: ˌvælɪˌtuːdɪˈnɛriən
n. a person who is excessively concerned about their health, especially one who is morbidly anxious about imaginary illnesses.
adj. relating to or characteristic of a valetudinarian; overly worried about health.
valetudinarian = valetudin<weak/ill health> + arian<noun suffix denoting a person>
- valetudin (from Latin valetudo "state of health," derived from valere "to be strong/healthy," but ironically shifted to imply poor health in this context).
- arian (a suffix forming nouns indicating a person associated with a trait, e.g., librarian, vegetarian).
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin valetudo, which originally meant "health" but later took on connotations of chronic illness. The suffix -arian was added in English to label someone obsessed with their (often imagined) ailments. The irony lies in the root valere ("to be strong"), contrasting with the word’s modern meaning of hypochondria.
The valetudinarian spent hours researching symptoms online, convinced he had every rare disease.
Her valetudinarian tendencies made her avoid crowds, fearing germs.
The doctor dismissed his complaints as typical valetudinarian behavior.
Despite being healthy, he lived like a valetudinarian, stocking his cabinet with unneeded medicines.
The valetudinarian’s constant visits to clinics exhausted his family.