anaphylactic
Americanadjective
Explanation
Anything described as anaphylactic has to do with a dangerous allergy. Someone who has an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts can find their face and throat swelling, making it difficult to breathe. Anaphylactic shock is a full-blown, severe allergic reaction to something like shellfish, nuts, bee stings, or penicillin. This happens when a person's immune system is overly sensitive to specific substances and overreacts in response. An anaphylactic reaction can include itchiness, swelling, and hives, and it can be deadly if it isn't treated. The word comes from the Latin anaphylaxis, which means "exaggerated susceptibility."
Vocabulary lists containing anaphylactic
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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.
Such reactions can range from responses with “no clinical manifestations” to irritating rashes to life-threatening conditions such as anaphylactic shock, which constricts breathing and impairs motor function.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
At the time, University of Sydney's Prof Greg Neely envisaged it had the potential to be used like an EpiPen, a device carried by people with allergies at risk of death from anaphylactic shock.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
When my parents gave me that yellow M&M display in 2020, my throat tightened and my eyes welled up—not because I was going into anaphylactic shock but because I knew I was loved.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
“I was willing to risk anaphylactic shock for $7,000,” he once wrote there.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025
What do you say when your best friend has lost his mojo because you tried to reduce him to a paranoid bundle of nerves terrified of going into anaphylactic shock?
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
