hypoxic

American  

[hahy-pok-sik] / haɪˈpɒk sɪk /

adjective

1. having or caused by a very low level of oxygen.

   The hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico is caused by excess nutrients, mainly nitrogen from fertilizer runoff.

   Some brain structures are believed to be particularly vulnerable to hypoxic damage during birth.

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Etymology

Origin of hypoxic

First recorded in 1940–45; hypox(ia) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypoxic

By the time she was transferred to Croydon University Hospital, she had suffered a hypoxic brain injury.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025

Adrian Ballinger, who heads another expedition team climbing Everest from the Chinese side to the north, also makes his clients undergo pre-acclimatisation training like using hypoxic tents to shorten time on the mountains.

From BBC ● May 21, 2025

Everest included sleeping at home with their heads in hypoxic tents meant to mimic the agonies of extreme altitude, reached the world’s highest summit on Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2024

Urea-rich agricultural runoff and municipal wastewater discharge cause eutrophication-harmful algal blooms and hypoxic dead zones that adversely impact the aquatic environment and human health.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 2024

Lounging in the sun at 28,700 feet inside my thick down suit, gazing across the roof of the world in a hypoxic stupor, I completely lost track of time.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer