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hebephrenic

Upper-Intermediate (B2)

IPA: /həˈbiːfrənɪk/

KK: /həˈbiːfrənɪk/

adjective
Definition

Relating to a type of schizophrenia that typically occurs in adolescence, characterized by inappropriate emotional responses and disorganized behavior.


Example

The patient exhibited hebephrenic symptoms, making it difficult for him to interact socially.


Conversation
Sloth A
I was reading about different mental health conditions and came across the term hebephrenic.
Sloth B
Oh really? What does that mean exactly?
Sloth A
It describes someone who has symptoms related to hebephrenia, which is a type of schizophrenia.
Sloth B
That sounds interesting! Mental health topics are so important to understand.

Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
childlike
immature
naive
Antonyms
mature
sophisticated
serious
Root Explanation

Hebephrenic is derived from "hebe" (from Greek "hēbē", meaning youth) and "phrenic" (from Greek "phren", meaning mind or diaphragm). The term refers to a type of schizophrenia characterized by disorganized behavior and thought processes, often associated with a youthful or immature demeanor.

Memory Tip

Think of 'youth' ('hebe') and 'mind' ('phren') to remember that 'hebephrenic' describes a mental state that reflects youthful or immature thinking.

Visually Confused Words

No commonly confused words.

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