rheumatic
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or of the nature of rheumatism.
-
affected with or subject to rheumatism.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rheumatic
1350–1400; Middle English reumatik < Latin rheumaticus < Greek rheumatikós, equivalent to rheumat- (stem of rheûma; see rheum) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
The adjective rheumatic describes anything having to do with rheumatism, a painful disease of the joints. If your grandfather moves slowly, you could describe him as rheumatic. You could describe a doctor as "a rheumatic expert," or a patient as moving in a rheumatic way, slow and arthritic. The Latin root word is rheumaticus, "troubled with rheum," and rheum itself is a Greek word that means "flow." The word was first ascribed to the disease of rheumatism because of the way it seemed to spread — or flow — within a patient's body.
Vocabulary lists containing rheumatic
"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Turtle in Paradise
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The Secret Garden
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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.
Appeal letters from the company related to rheumatic conditions, where it’s had the most experience so far, have about an 82% success rate, Veigulis said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2025
The lawsuit alleged Todd would gain their confidence, go beyond treating their rheumatic diseases and become their only doctor while conducting invasive, unnecessary exams.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
Currently there is no vaccine available to protect against group A strep, which can also cause rheumatic fever and scarlet fever.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2023
Moreover, repeated infections can lead to the post-streptococcal sequelae of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, for which the Australian Indigenous population bears the highest disease burden globally.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2023
There was no protection from common childhood illnesses like tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, diphtheria, or whooping cough.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
