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Meaning & use

gender dysphoria

noun·Advancedmedicaltechnical

Last updated

UK/ˈdʒendə dɪsˈfɔːriə/
US/ˈdʒɛndər dɪsˈfɔriə/

Meaning

  1. noununcountablemedical

    Lasting distress or discomfort that arises when a person's gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.

    Grammar: Mass noun: she experiences gender dysphoria.

    Patterns

    • experience gender dysphoria
    • gender dysphoria in someone

    Doctors assess gender dysphoria through careful conversations over time.

    Some young people experience gender dysphoria in early adolescence.

    Support from family can reduce the distress linked to gender dysphoria.

Common combinations

experience gender dysphoria
Many people who experience gender dysphoria seek counseling.
treatment for gender dysphoria
Treatment for gender dysphoria varies from person to person.
diagnosed with gender dysphoria
He was diagnosed with gender dysphoria by a specialist.
gender dysphoria in adolescents
The study looked at gender dysphoria in adolescents.
severe gender dysphoria
Severe gender dysphoria can affect daily life and mental health.

Synonyms and how they differ

gender incongruence
This is the term used in some international health guidance and describes the mismatch itself, not the distress.
gender distress
This is a plainer phrase for the distress but is not a formal medical term.

Opposites

gender euphoria

Word family

dysphoria noun
a state of unease or dissatisfaction
dysphoric adjective
feeling or showing dysphoria
euphoria noun
a state of intense happiness
gender identity noun
a person's inner sense of being a man, woman or another gender

Commonly confused: gender dysphoria or gender identity? gender dysphoria or euphoria?

gender dysphoria vs gender identity

Gender identity is a person's sense of their gender. Gender dysphoria is the distress that may arise if it does not match their assigned sex.

gender dysphoria vs euphoria

Euphoria means strong happiness and is close to the opposite of dysphoria.

Practice

Which phrase names the distress some people feel when their gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth?

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