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Synonyms

allergic

American  
[uh-lur-jik] / əˈlɜr dʒɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to allergy.

    an allergic reaction to wool.

  2. having an allergy.

  3. Informal. having a strong dislike or aversion.

    He's allergic to most modern music.
allergic British  
/ əˈlɜːdʒɪk /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, having, or caused by an allergy

  2. informal having an aversion (to)

    he's allergic to work
"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

  • unallergic adjective

Etymology

Origin of allergic

First recorded in 1910–15; allerg(y) + -ic

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.

Testing revealed the most common species was penicillium chrysogenum, famous because it is used to produce the penicillin antibiotic but it can cause allergic reactions or infections in people with compromised immune systems.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Those allergic to interactive shows can decline an invitation to share the spotlight, although I imagine many would dearly love to reminisce about the time they co-starred with Harry Potter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

To test that idea, the team exposed mice to a protein from house dust mites, a common cause of allergic asthma.

From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2026

Mr. Luhrmann is a purveyor of tabloid cinema—punchy, entertaining, sensationalist, intensely allergic to stasis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Such as a kid who is allergic to pizza.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.