adjective
-
of, relating to, or having diabetes
-
for the use of diabetics
diabetic chocolate
noun
Usage
Rather than talking about a diabetic or diabetics , it is better to talk about a person with diabetes , people with diabetes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of diabetic
First recorded in 1790–1800; diabet(es) + -ic
Explanation
If you're a diabetic, you are a person who suffers from the disease of diabetes. Diabetics tend to have wildly varying blood sugar levels, which can sometimes be dangerous. A diabetic's pancreas typically doesn't produce enough insulin, the hormone in your body that metabolizes sugars and carbohydrates. The word diabetic is also an adjective that describes someone who has the illness or something associated with it. Your diabetic friend might need to monitor her blood sugar several times a day and follow a special diabetic diet. The word comes from the Greek, in which it means "excessive discharge of urine," one of the illness's symptoms.
Vocabulary lists containing diabetic
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.
The pooled analysis included 14,574 participants with both diabetic and non-diabetic chronic kidney disease.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
"I was one decimal point away from being diabetic," Doran, who lives in Ottawa, Canada, told the BBC.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
A woman who found out she was diabetic at seven years old has told how stepping on a dog biscuit led to her right leg being amputated.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
Perfuse’s lead drug candidate is an experimental treatment for glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy currently being tested in mid-stage clinical trials, Bayer said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
I’ve been diabetic a couple of times, and the first time was harrowing.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
