hypoxic

American

[hahy-pok-sik] / haɪˈpɒk sɪk /

adjective

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.

Etymology

Origin of hypoxic

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

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.

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

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

Her primary cause of death being given as an hypoxic brain injury, which is caused by a lack of oxygen.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2024

In normal times, she said, providers are much more likely to err on the side of caution for a potentially hypoxic patient.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023