hypothermia

American  

[hahy-puh-thur-mee-uh] / ˌhaɪ pəˈθɜr mi ə /

noun

1. Pathology. subnormal body temperature.

2. Medicine/Medical. the artificial reduction of body temperature to slow metabolic processes, as for facilitating heart surgery.

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hypothermia British  

/ ˌhaɪpəʊˈθɜːmɪə /

noun

1. pathol an abnormally low body temperature, as induced in the elderly by exposure to cold weather

2. med the intentional reduction of normal body temperature, as by ice packs, to reduce the patient's metabolic rate: performed esp in heart and brain surgery

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hypothermia Scientific  

/ hī′pə-thûr′mē-ə /

1. An abnormally low body temperature, often caused by prolonged exposure to cold.

2. Compare hyperthermia

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Other Word Forms

• hypothermic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypothermia

First recorded in 1885–90; hypo- + therm- + -ia

Compare meaning

How does hypothermia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypothermia vs. hyperthermia

Explanation

Hypothermia is when your body temperature gets dangerously low, so low that you could seriously hurt yourself or die. Ever heard of a polar bear plunge? During winter, people jump into the ocean to raise money for a charity. They don’t stay in there long, and if they did, they’d definitely get hypothermia because the water’s so cold. The word is a combination of the prefix hypo-, meaning “below,” and the Greek word thermē, translated as “heat.” When your body heat gets below what it should be, please put on a sweater or you’ll get hypothermia and maybe die.

Example Sentences

The official cause of death listed on the crew member’s death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ, states that Meadows died from drowning with probable hypothermia and submersion of his body in cold water.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

While no deaths have been reported as a result of the flooding, more than 200 people have been saved from the rising waters, and at least 10 people have been hospitalized with hypothermia.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Seabirds are especially at risk because oil destroyed the waterproofing of their feathers, leading to hypothermia and drowning.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

His girlfriend, Kerstin G, died of hypothermia during a climbing trip on the Grossglockner mountain in January 2025.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

The doctors had rattled off all the things he’d had: frostbite, dehydration, exhaustion, hypothermia, shock.

From "The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart