arthritic
Americanadjective
-
relating to, having, or experiencing arthritis.
-
creaky, slow-moving, misshapen, etc., as if affected with arthritis: The road was overhung with what looked like arthritic trees, warped and bent to the whims of the wind.
The next few days passed at the speed of an arthritic tortoise.
The road was overhung with what looked like arthritic trees, warped and bent to the whims of the wind.
noun
Other Word Forms
- antiarthritic adjective
- arthritically adverb
- postarthritic adjective
Etymology
Origin of arthritic
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin arthrīticus, from Greek arthrītikós; replacing Middle English artetik, from Old French artetique, from Latin, as above; see arthr-, -itic
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.
Vonn had retired in 2019, her body battered by repeated crashes, her right knee arthritic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
“This is like a big bon voyage to my old arthritic hip,” he told O’Brien.
From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025
O’Neal was playing with a badly aching arthritic big toe, a sprained wrist and a handful of unlisted bangs and bruises.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025
Q: Recently a reader extolled the virtues of fish oil for his arthritic knees.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2023
He was hunched over, and the fact that he was barefoot despite an acute arthritic condition made me uncomfortable in my own sandals.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
