Definition

A medical condition characterized by inflammation of the esophagus, which can cause pain and difficulty swallowing.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with esophagitis after she complained of severe chest pain and difficulty swallowing.

Conversation

Have you heard about esophagitis and what it means?

Yeah, I think it's related to inflammation in the esophagus, right?

Exactly! It can cause a lot of discomfort when eating.

That's tough; I hope people find ways to manage it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Esophagitis is formed from "esophagus" (from Greek "oisophagos", meaning the gullet or throat) and "-itis" (from Greek "itis", meaning inflammation). The word refers to the inflammation of the esophagus.

Memory Tip

Think of the 'esophagus' as the tube that carries food to your stomach, and '-itis' means inflammation. So, esophagitis is the inflammation of that tube.

Visually Confused Words