Words for Nerds - Valetudinarian Explained

Last time we asked for the definition of valetudinarian, a word that doesn't crop up frequently in casual conversation, at least at our house.

The correct definition of valetudinarian is ... a sickly or weak person - especially one who is constantly and morbidly concerned with his or her health.

A valetudinarian is in much worse shape than a mere hypochondriac. A hypochondriac might be more or less healthy, and his or her preoccupation with health may be constant, but not necessarily morbid.

I like the word because so many times, hypochondriac isn't strong enough to properly describe the person in question. The problem is, if you use valetudinarian to describe him or her, nobody will know what you're talking about.

This is why I recommend you print this post and keep it on hand. When you spring the word on your unsuspecting listeners, you can just pass it around so they catch your drift.

At Scrambled Toast, we're always trying to help.