dyslexic
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dyslexic
First recorded in 1960–65; dyslex(ia) + -ic
Explanation
If you're dyslexic, you have a learning disability that makes it particularly hard for you to read, write, and spell. Someone who's dyslexic suffers from dyslexia, in which the brain has trouble translating images into language. Many think that dyslexic people simply transpose letters and numbers — reading 1234 as 4321 or mistaking b for d — but the symptoms are usually broader than this. To a dyslexic person, letters and numbers may jump around on the page, or the person might have trouble connecting letters to the sounds they make. The word dyslexic comes from the Greek roots dys, meaning bad, and lexis, meaning word.
Vocabulary lists containing dyslexic
Freak the Mighty
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A Very Large Expanse of Sea
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: dys
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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.
See Examples For:
As a child, I was severely dyslexic and developed a stutter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
“I’m not proud of having a poor education. I’m not proud of being dyslexic and having attention deficit disorder,” he says, pausing to request some sweetener to stir into this tea.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2025
“As a dyslexic child who dreamed of becoming famous, Cher was raised in often-chaotic circumstances, surrounded by singers, actors, and a mother who inspired her in spite of their difficult relationship,” Dey Street Books said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2024
Robert, who describes himself with a smile as "massively dyslexic", explains he has only played the original Scrabble once before.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2024
My mom knew how upset I was about school and was able to find a school for dyslexic kids.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
The Dyslexia Association provides a wide range of services to directly assist and improve the lives of dyslexics of all ages.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2023
Many dyslexics end up "compensating" for their trouble with language processing by doing other things really well – things that don't come naturally to the linear mind.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2023
Hancock said: “These are the skills that dyslexics tend to have in abundance and they are also the skills that the future of work values more and more.”
From The Guardian ● Dec. 7, 2021
In a small study they found that most dyslexics had dominant round spots in both eyes - rather than in just one - leading to blurring and confusion.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2017
Gabriele found that in the brains of dyslexics, this process wasn’t occurring when they heard the same person speak different words.
From Time ● Dec. 21, 2016
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.
