hypertrophic

American  

[hahy-per-trof-ik, -troh-fik] / ˌhaɪ pərˈtrɒf ɪk, -ˈtroʊ fɪk /

adjective

1. (especially of an organ or tissue) abnormally enlarged or overgrown.

   The doctor’s examination revealed hypertrophic tonsils.

   Communities of zooplankton can reach enormous densities in these naturally hypertrophic habitats, and they represent an important food resource for migratory birds.

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Other Word Forms

• pseudohypertrophic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypertrophic

hypertroph(y) ( def. ) + -ic

Example Sentences

On the same BBC Radio Wales programme, Yorath was asked how he had coped with the death of his son Daniel, who had undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and said: "I didn't, really."

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

In 1992, his son Daniel died aged 15 from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy while playing football at home with Yorath.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

Atrial fibrillation, heart failure and stroke -- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can lead to many serious health conditions and is a major cause of sudden cardiac death in people younger than 35.

From Science Daily • Nov. 1, 2023

Viewers who give in to the film's schmaltziness will appreciate "A Man Called Otto," which even includes a joke at the irony of Otto's hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic enlargement of the heart.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2023

"Apoplexy and palsy, in a scarcely credible number of cases, are directly dependent on hypertrophic enlargement of the heart."

From Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I by Spencer, Herbert