adjective
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of, relating to, having, or caused by an allergy
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informal having an aversion (to)
he's allergic to work
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of allergic
Explanation
If you're allergic, your body has an exaggerated response to some substance, like cat dander or pollen, that makes you sneeze or get itchy. Many people are allergic to dust. If you have an allergy to something, your immune system goes crazy when you come in contact with it: if this happens to you, you're allergic. You might be allergic to certain plants, and spend the spring with itchy eyes, for example, or sneeze every time you pet your best friend's dog. Allergic comes from allergy, from the German Allergie, which is rooted in the Greek word allos, "other, different, or strange."
Vocabulary lists containing allergic
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 17–February 23, 2024
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 14–May 20, 2022
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Jess and Layla's Astronomical Assignment
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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.
Nonetheless Bengali voters were seen as allergic to the BJP for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
As Ballou recounts, one husband whose wife had died of an allergic reaction sued the restaurant that had served her, along with Disney, who owned the restaurant property.
From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026
Ghost had an allergic reaction to the water, known as cold urticaria, breaking out in red welts and shaking uncontrollably, the court heard.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
There was a company called Mylan, which was best known for buying EpiPen, the lifesaving injector for severe allergic reactions, especially for kids, and then multiplying the price sevenfold in under a decade.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Bat loved peanut butter, but he could never pack peanut butter sandwiches for school lunches because Lin was allergic to peanuts.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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.
