Definition

A condition that causes the skin to become red, swollen, and sore, often due to an allergic reaction or irritation.

Example

She was diagnosed with dermatitis after developing a rash from the new soap.

Conversation

I heard you’ve been dealing with some skin issues lately.

Yeah, I think it might be dermatitis or something similar.

That sounds uncomfortable; what are the symptoms?

Mostly just irritation and redness, but I'm trying some creams to help.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dermatitis → It is formed from "derma" (from Greek "derma", meaning skin) and "-itis" (from Greek "itis", meaning inflammation). The word describes inflammation of the skin.

Memory Tip

Think of 'derma' meaning skin and '-itis' indicating inflammation — dermatitis refers to inflammation of the skin.

Visually Confused Words