Meaning & use
aphasic
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Meanings
adjectivecomparablemedical
Unable, fully or partly, to speak, understand, read or write because of brain damage, often after a stroke.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after be: an aphasic patient.
Patterns
- become aphasic after something
- an aphasic patient
After the stroke, he became aphasic and could only say a few words.
The therapist works with aphasic patients every week.
Her aphasic speech was slow but meaningful.
nouncountablemedicalformal
A person who has aphasia.
Grammar: Often used in medical writing; a polite form is a person with aphasia.
Patterns
- an aphasic who ...
The study followed fifty aphasics over two years.
Many aphasics understand more than they can say.
The clinic offers group therapy for aphasics.
Word forms
| plural | aphasics |
|---|
Common combinations
- aphasic patient
- The nurse spoke slowly to the aphasic patient.
- become aphasic
- He became aphasic after the injury.
- aphasic speech
- Aphasic speech may lack small connecting words.
- aphasic stroke survivor
- An aphasic stroke survivor can often learn new strategies.
- remain aphasic
- She remained aphasic for several months.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speechless
- Speechless describes a short moment without words from surprise, whereas aphasic describes a lasting medical language problem.
- mute
- Mute means unable to speak at all, while aphasic describes difficulty with language itself, including understanding.
- dysphasic
- Dysphasic is the older, slightly milder term for partial language difficulty, now less common.
- inarticulate
- Inarticulate suggests being unable to express yourself clearly in general and has no medical cause implied.
Opposites
Word family
- aphasia noun
- a language disorder caused by damage to the brain
- aphasiology noun
- the study of aphasia
- dysphasia noun
- partial difficulty with language
- phasic adjective
- relating to a phase or stage
Commonly confused: aphasic or aphonic? aphasic or apathetic?
aphasic vs aphonic
Aphonic means having no voice, usually from a throat problem, while aphasic involves the brain's language system.
aphasic vs apathetic
Apathetic means showing no interest, which is unrelated to losing language.
Practice
After the stroke damaged the language area of his brain, the man became ____ and struggled to find words.
Choose one answer.
Aphasic describes a loss or weakening of language caused by brain damage. Aphonic means without voice, apathetic means uninterested, and amnesic means related to memory loss.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aphasic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.