VCR Lesson 6
Noah Tobias
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word
Our patient with ______ wandered into the room, pulling out files upon files filled with obscure medical conditions, all of which he "knew" he had contracted.
The Word
hypochondria (n.)
a psychological disorder characterized by an illusory conviction of illness
people with disorder are called hypochondriacs
Roots
Hupo - Greek, "under, beneath"
Khondros - Greek "cartilege"
Synonyms
Sickness phobia, neurosis, neuroticism
Antonyms
There are no direct antonyms; basically, everyone who does not worry obsessively over their health is certainly not a hypochondriac.
Pick the letter of the sentence in which the word is used incorrectly
A.) My hypochondriac mother worries that her bills will one day bankrupt her, despite her ridiculous wealth.
B.) Hypochondria is a common affliction in the hospital ward; my roommate woke me up last night by yelling about his "struggle" with toxiiplasma gondhi, a disease which almost never affects humans.
C.) The old Irish man down the street suffered from hypochondria, always complaining that sunshine and happiness put him in bad health.
D.) His hypochondriac dog licked itself all over, trying to be rid of the fleas which had long since been eradicated.
The correct answer is A - hypochondria deals with health worries, not worries about economic standing.