arrhythmia

[ uh-rith-mee-uh, ey-rith- ]

/ əˈrɪð mi ə, eɪˈrɪð- /

Save This Word!

noun Pathology.

any disturbance in the rhythm of the heartbeat.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also arhythmia.

Origin of arrhythmia

1885–90; <New Latin <Greek arrhythmía.See a-⁶, rhythm, -ia

OTHER WORDS FROM arrhythmia

arrhyth·mic

[uh-rith-mik, ey-rith-], /əˈrɪð mɪk, eɪˈrɪð-/, ar·rhyth·mi·cal, adjectivear·rhyth·mi·cal·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH arrhythmia

arrhythmic , eurhythmic

Words nearby arrhythmia

Arretine ware, Arretium, arrgt., Arrhenius, arrhenotoky, arrhythmia, Arriaga, arriba, arricciato, arriccio, arride

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use arrhythmia in a sentence

For humans, reactions can range from rashes, diarrhea, and sore throats to cardiac arrhythmia.
Toxic Algal Blooms Are Growing Out of Control|jversteegh|August 26, 2021|Outside Online
There’s still lots to learn about exactly what’s happening with calcium in the arteries, arrhythmias, and heart scarring.
There’s New Evidence on Heart Health in Endurance Athletes|mmirhashem|August 7, 2021|Outside Online
It poured money into scientists asking whether these drugs reduced arrhythmia.
Why Misinformation Is About Who You Trust, Not What You Think - Issue 100: Outsiders|Brian Gallagher & Kevin Berger|May 26, 2021|Nautilus
And, finally, his heart “went into an arrhythmia and stopped pumping blood.”
Chauvin’s despicable defense: What gave George Floyd the right to die?|Eugene Robinson|April 15, 2021|Washington Post

Six years later, as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, he missed two games because of a minor heart arrhythmia.
Brooklyn Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge announces retirement, citing irregular heartbeat|Glynn A. Hill, Ben Golliver|April 15, 2021|Washington Post
First, a person might, for a variety of reasons, develop a fatal rhythm, an “arrhythmia.”
Heart Attack 101: What May Have Killed James Gandolfini|Kent Sepkowitz|June 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He suffered from high blood pressure, a possible heart arrhythmia and high cholesterol.
Jail Death of Veteran Haunts Joe Arpaio, 'America's Toughest Sheriff'|Terry Greene Sterling|June 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for arrhythmia

arrhythmia

/ (əˈrɪðmɪə) /

noun

any variation from the normal rhythm in the heartbeat

Word Origin for arrhythmia

C19: New Latin, from Greek arrhuthmia, from a- 1 + rhuthmos rhythm

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

Scientific definitions for arrhythmia

arrhythmia

[ ə-rĭð′mē-ə ]

An abnormal rhythm of the heart, often detectable on an electrocardiogram. Electrical impulses in the heart normally originate in the sinoatrial node of the right atrium during diastole and are transmitted through the atrioventricular node to the ventricles, causing the muscle contraction that usually occurs during systole. However, abnormalities of electrical conduction during diastole or systole can result in various alterations of the heartbeat, such as changes in heart rate, skipped or irregular beats, and fibrillation of the heart muscle, which can be life threatening. These electrical disturbances can be caused by metabolic abnormalities, inadequate blood supply (as in coronary artery disease), drug effects, chronic disease, and other factors. Arrhythmias are sometimes treated with the implantation of a pacemaker.