erythematous

American  

[er-uh-them-uh-tuhs, ‑-thee-muh‑] / ˌɛr əˈθɛm ə təs, ‑ˈθi mə‑ /

Rarely erythematic

adjective

Pathology.

1. abnormally inflamed or reddened.

   Clinical signs include the presence of dry, fissured lips and a coated, erythematous, and fissured tongue.

---

Etymology

Origin of erythematous

First recorded in 1770–80; erythemat- (stem of erythema ( def. ) ) + -ous ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

erythematous

Johnson & Johnson is also a key beneficiary in this space, the analyst wrote last month, citing its leadership in hematology and head start in potential markets like Sjogren’s disease and systemic lupus erythematous.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

But more significantly, another joke at singer Seal’s expense was not about his race — it was about his FACE, which is scarred by a type of lupus called discoid lupus erythematous.

From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2016

“Their appearance meant blood vessels had broken in those areas. Over the next couple of days, the rash would progress until the spots coalesced into generalized, large red erythematous rash from head to toe.”

From Time ● Jul. 21, 2015

With or without precursory symptoms of systemic disturbance, irregularly scattered blebs, few or in numbers, make their appearance, arising from erythematous spots or from apparently normal skin.

From Essentials of Diseases of the Skin Including the Syphilodermata Arranged in the Form of Questions and Answers Prepared Especially for Students of Medicine by Henry Weightman Stelwagon

There are various dermal affections which sometimes follow the exhibition of mercury and assume an erythematous type.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle