Dysthanasia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of extending life in patients who are suffering greatly while raising ethical concerns related to quality of life
2. The process of causing death to be extended while a person endures significant pain and distress
3. A medical condition where a person’s life is lengthened despite ongoing severe discomfort and poor quality of life

Etymology: "Dysthanasia" is built from the Greek prefix "dys-", meaning "bad" or "difficult," and "thanatos," the Greek word for "death." It was formed as a deliberate counterpart to "euthanasia," which combines "eu-" ("good") with the same root, so that the two terms mirror each other: euthanasia is a good death brought about by ending life, while dysthanasia names the opposite problem of prolonging life through medical means when the patient is suffering greatly. The pairing shows how the newer word depends on the older one. "Euthanasia" was itself assembled from Greek parts, and "dysthanasia" borrows its structure, so its meaning only becomes clear by reference to that model. The "dys-" prefix appears in many English coinages, such as "dysfunction" and "dyslexia," and here it marks a burden rather than a benefit.

Synonyms: prolonged dying, unnecessary suffering