Definition

An unusually strong desire to eat large amounts of food, often linked to problems in the brain's appetite control center.

Example

After her surgery, she experienced hyperphagia and found it hard to stop eating.

Conversation

I read an article about hyperphagia and how it can affect people.

Really? I’ve never heard of that before. What does it mean?

It’s when someone has an abnormally increased appetite for food, often due to a brain injury.

Wow, that sounds serious. I hope people can get the help they need.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hyperphagia is formed from "hyper-" (meaning over or excessive) and "phagia" (from Greek "phagein", meaning to eat). The word describes the condition of excessive eating or an increased appetite.

Memory Tip

Think of 'hyper-' meaning 'excessive' and 'phagia' meaning 'to eat' — this helps you remember that hyperphagia refers to eating excessively.

Visually Confused Words