Valetudinary

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A person who is excessively concerned with their own health or frequently in poor health
2. An individual who excessively worries about their physical condition and demonstrates consistent health concerns
3. Often experiencing physical weakness or illness; showing an undue preoccupation with personal health issues

Etymology: Valetudinary describes someone who worries excessively about their health, and its history is built from a Latin noun meaning "state of health." That noun, "valetudo," came from "valere," "to be strong or well," and the suffix "-tudo" that forms abstract nouns of condition. English took the root through the adjective "valetudinary," which turns "valetudo" into a description of a person's habits of mind rather than their body. The adjective was formed by adding "-ary" to the Latin stem "valetudin-," and it sits beside the near-identical "valetudinarious," which is a doublet, meaning two forms descended from the same source. The two words share a meaning and a root but reached English by slightly different routes, and "valetudinary" is the shorter and older-sounding of the pair.

Synonyms: ailing, feeble, sickly, unwell, debilitated

Antonyms: healthy, strong, vigorous, robust, fit