Meaning & use
hypotonus
Last updated
UK/ˌhaɪpəʊˈtəʊnəs/
US/ˌhaɪpoʊˈtoʊnəs/
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
An abnormal lack of muscle tension, causing muscles to feel floppy and weak.
Grammar: Uncountable: the baby showed hypotonus.
Patterns
- hypotonus in something
The pediatrician noticed hypotonus in the newborn's arms and legs.
Hypotonus can make it harder for a child to sit up.
Physical therapy helps to improve hypotonus over time.
Common combinations
- muscle hypotonus
- Muscle hypotonus was found during the exam.
- show hypotonus
- The infant showed hypotonus in the first weeks.
- generalized hypotonus
- Generalized hypotonus affected all four limbs.
- cause of hypotonus
- Doctors searched for the cause of hypotonus.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hypotonia
- Hypotonia is the more common medical term for the same condition.
- floppiness
- Floppiness is the plain everyday description, whereas hypotonus is a clinical diagnosis.
- low muscle tone
- Low muscle tone is the phrase doctors use when talking to families, and means the same thing.
- flaccidity
- Flaccidity describes limp, soft muscles, often in more severe cases, and is used more broadly.
Opposites
Word family
- hypotonic adjective
- having low muscle tone
- hypotonia noun
- the more usual term for low muscle tone
- tonus noun
- the normal slight tension in resting muscle
- hypertonus noun
- abnormally high muscle tension
Commonly confused: hypotonus or hypertonus?
hypotonus vs hypertonus
Hypertonus is too much muscle tension, the opposite of hypotonus, which is too little.
Practice
A baby who feels unusually floppy when picked up may be showing ____.
Choose one answer.
Hypotonus means low muscle tension, so a floppy baby fits. Hypertonus is stiffness, the opposite, and is the tempting wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hypotonus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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