hyperglycemia

Upper-Intermediate (B2)

IPA: /ˌhaɪpərˈɡlaɪsiˌəmə/

KK: /haɪpərˈɡlaɪsiˌimə/

noun

Definition

A medical condition where there is too much sugar in the blood.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with hyperglycemia after reviewing her blood test results.

Conversation

I've been feeling really tired lately, and I'm not sure why.

Have you checked your blood sugar? It could be hyperglycemia causing that fatigue.

I didn't think of that! Maybe I should get tested just to be safe.

Definitely do that; it's better to know than to guess.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

glucosuria

diabetes

sugar

Antonyms

hypoglycemia

normalcy

euglycemia

Root Explanation

Hyperglycemia → It is formed from "hyper-" (meaning over or excessive) and "glycemia" (from Greek "glykys" meaning sweet and "haima" meaning blood). The term describes a condition of having excessively high levels of sugar in the blood.

Memory Tip

Think of 'hyper-' meaning excessive and 'glycemia' relating to sweet blood — this helps you remember that hyperglycemia refers to having too much sugar in the blood.

Visually Confused Words