aneurysm

American  

[an-yuh-riz-uhm] / ˈæn jəˌrɪz əm /

Or aneurism

noun

Pathology.

1. a permanent cardiac or arterial dilatation usually caused by weakening of the vessel wall.

---

aneurysm British  

/ ˈænjəˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. a sac formed by abnormal dilation of the weakened wall of a blood vessel

---

aneurysm Scientific  

/ ăn′yə-rĭz′əm /

1. A localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel or cardiac chamber caused by disease, such as arteriosclerosis, or weakening of the vessel or chamber wall. A ruptured aneurysm results in hemorrhage and is often fatal.

---

Other Word Forms

• aneurismal
  adjective
• aneurysmal
  adjective
• aneurismally
  adverb
• aneurysmally
  adverb

---

Etymology

Origin of aneurysm

First recorded in 1650–60; from Greek aneúrysma “dilation,” equivalent to aneurys- (variant stem of aneurýnein “to dilate,” from an- an- ³ + eurýnein “to widen, broaden”; cf. eury-) + -ma, noun suffix

---

Explanation

Sometimes an artery wall weakens in a spot, causing a pouch-like bulge of pooled blood called an aneurysm. If it bursts, it can be life-threatening. While aneurysms can form anywhere, they are most common in the brain and cardiac areas. This is a very serious medical event that can cause injury and even death. Even though aneurysms are potentially deadly, people use the word sometimes in exaggerations. For example, if you see that someone is getting mad, you might say, "Don't have an aneurysm about it!" That just means something like "Take it easy! Don't get so excited."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aneurysm

The film won the award, and this time, Barroso had a surprise in store, an Oscar-worthy dress ready to go for the big night even though she’d just had surgery after suffering a brain aneurysm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Bill Pay itself was extremely meta and self-aware, a post-postmodern pageant that would have given David Foster Wallace an aneurysm.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Subtle differences in joint alignment may affect the risk of conditions, such as osteoarthritis, while variations in vascular anatomy can influence susceptibility to stroke or aneurysm.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

In 2014, King faced his own health challenge when he suffered a brain aneurysm while separated from his wife and living alone.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026

I got into it and typed, “Can you get an aneurysm from an injury to the head?”

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---