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

Another son, Daniel, died suddenly at the age of 15 in 1992 from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

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

Comparison with samples from patients with muscle disease will ultimately contribute to a better understanding of diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and to the development of innovative therapies.

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