Meaning & use
astigmatism eye
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountablemedical
An eye condition in which the cornea or lens is unevenly curved, making vision blurred or distorted at any distance.
Grammar: Countable when referring to a specific case: 'She has an astigmatism in her right eye.' Uncountable when referring to the condition in general: 'Astigmatism often runs in families.'
Patterns
- have astigmatism
- astigmatism in (one/both) eye(s)
- correct astigmatism
The optometrist told him that his blurred vision was caused by astigmatism in both eyes.
People with astigmatism often find that lights appear streaked or fuzzy at night.
She was born with astigmatism and has worn glasses since childhood.
Common combinations
- have astigmatism
- About one in three people have some degree of astigmatism.
- astigmatism in the left eye
- The doctor noted mild astigmatism in the left eye.
- correct astigmatism
- Special contact lenses can correct astigmatism effectively.
- severe astigmatism
- His severe astigmatism made it hard to read road signs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- refractive error
- A broader medical term that includes astigmatism as well as near-sightedness and far-sightedness.
Word family
- astigmatic adjective
- Describing someone who has astigmatism, or a lens that corrects it.
Commonly confused: astigmatism eye or stigmatism?
astigmatism eye vs stigmatism
A rare word meaning the condition of having stigmata, or being marked with a sign; not related to eyesight.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'astigmatism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Astigmatism is an eye condition, so it makes sense to say someone has it in an eye. The other options treat it as an infectious disease, a food, or an activity, none of which fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “astigmatism eye”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.