Meaning & use
hypothermia
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Meaning
noununcountablemedical
A condition in which the body's temperature falls dangerously low, usually after long exposure to cold.
Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'suffers from hypothermia', not 'a hypothermia'.
Patterns
- suffer from hypothermia
- treat hypothermia
- signs of hypothermia
The hiker was rushed to hospital with hypothermia after being lost in the snow for two days.
Elderly people living alone are at greater risk of hypothermia during a cold snap.
Rescuers wrapped the survivors in blankets to prevent hypothermia.
Common combinations
- mild hypothermia
- She was shivering uncontrollably, a clear sign of mild hypothermia.
- severe hypothermia
- In cases of severe hypothermia, the patient may become unconscious.
- risk of hypothermia
- Anyone swimming in these cold waters faces a serious risk of hypothermia.
- hypothermia sets in
- Hypothermia can set in within minutes if you fall into icy water.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exposure
- Used in medical contexts to mean the harmful effects of cold, but it can also refer to heat or other conditions; hypothermia is more precise.
Opposites
Word family
- hypothermic adjective
- Relating to or suffering from hypothermia.
Commonly confused: hypothermia or hyperthermia? hypothermia or hypodermic?
hypothermia vs hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is the opposite: an abnormally high body temperature, often from heatstroke.
hypothermia vs hypodermic
Hypodermic means 'under the skin' and refers to injections; it is not related to body temperature.
Practice
After being trapped in the snow for hours, the climber began to show signs of ______.
Choose one answer.
Hypothermia is the correct term for dangerously low body temperature caused by cold. Hyperthermia is the opposite (too high), hypodermic relates to injections, and hypertension is high blood pressure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hypothermia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.