arthritic
Americanadjective
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relating to, having, or experiencing arthritis.
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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
Derived Forms
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.
But in 2024, she underwent surgery to rebuild her arthritic right knee, if only to improve her day-to-day life in retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026
Yeah, that won’t take time and effort, and did I mention she was there for treatment of her arthritic hands?
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2026
“This is like a big bon voyage to my old arthritic hip,” he told O’Brien.
From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025
This suggests that the new platform has immense potential to help researchers understand disease mechanisms and identify and test new therapies for arthritic diseases.
From Science Daily • Oct. 12, 2023
Whatever the exact cause, Galileo suffered from repeated bouts of an arthritic ailment for the rest of his life, which sometimes confined him to bed for several weeks at a time.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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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.