Definition

A medical condition where a person has trouble swallowing food or liquids.

Example

After the surgery, she experienced dysphagia and found it hard to eat.

Conversation

Have you heard about the condition called dysphagia?

Yeah, I've read that it makes it hard for people to swallow.

Exactly! It must be really challenging for those who have dysphagia.

I can’t imagine how difficult eating must be for them.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dysphagia is formed from "dys-" (meaning difficult or bad) and "phagia" (from Greek "phagein", meaning to eat or to consume). The word describes a condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dys-' meaning difficult and 'phagia' relating to eating — this helps you remember that dysphagia refers to difficulty in swallowing.

Visually Confused Words