cyclothymia

American

[sahy-kluh-thahy-mee-uh, sik-luh-] / ˌsaɪ kləˈθaɪ mi ə, ˌsɪk lə- /

noun

Psychiatry.

a mild bipolar disorder characterized by instability of mood and a tendency to swing between mild euphorias and depressions.

cyclothymia British

/ ˌsɪk-, ˌsaɪkləʊˈθaɪmɪə /

noun

psychiatry a condition characterized by periodical swings of mood between excitement and depression, activity and inactivity See also manic-depressive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

cyclothymic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of cyclothymia

First recorded in 1920–25; cyclo- + -thymia

Compare meaning

How does cyclothymia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

cyclothymia vs. dysthymia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cyclothymia leads to radical and unpredictable mood swings or mood shifts.

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2020

My affliction, manic-depression, comes in many flavors: Cyclothymia, Bipolar I and II, with further codes about the relative severity of the diagnosis.

From Scientific American • May 8, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023