Brady

Brady- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “slow.” It is used in scientific and medical terms, especially in pathology.

Brady- comes from the Greek bradýs, meaning “slow, heavy.”

One example of a medical term you may be familiar with that features the combining form brady- is bradycardia, “a slow heartbeat rate.”

The first part of the word, brady-, means “slow.” What about the –cardia part of the word? Well, -cardia, from the Greek word for “heart,” refers to heart anomalies. Bradycardia, then, literally translates to “slow heart.”

What are some words that use the combining form brady-?

• bradypnea
• bradyphasia
• bradyarthria
• bradykinin
• bradytelic

What are some other forms that brady- may be commonly confused with?

• brachi-
• brachy-
• branchi-

Unrelated to the combining form brady- is the given name Brady, which originates as an Irish surname.

The combining form -pnea means “breath, respiration.” What is the medical condition bradypnea characterized by?