rheumatism
2 synonyms and 0 antonyms for rheumatism, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A general term for pain and stiffness in the joints, muscles, or connective tissue.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
From Greek rheumatismos ("discharge, flow"), from rheuma ("stream, flow") — reflecting the old belief that such pain was caused by fluids flowing through the body.
Full origin of rheumatism →Frequently asked questions
What does “rheumatism” mean?
The word “rheumatism” means a general term for pain and stiffness in the joints, muscles, or connective tissue. In plain terms, an older, general word for joint and muscle pain, now mostly replaced in medicine by more specific terms like arthritis.
How do you pronounce “rheumatism”?
“Rheumatism” is pronounced ROO-muh-tihz-uhm (/ˈɹu.məˌtɪz/ in IPA).
How do you use “rheumatism” in a sentence?
Here is “rheumatism” used in a sentence: “Her grandmother's rheumatism flared up whenever the weather turned cold.”
What part of speech is “rheumatism”?
“Rheumatism” is a noun.
Where does the word “rheumatism” come from?
The word “rheumatism” comes from Greek. From Greek rheumatismos ("discharge, flow"), from rheuma ("stream, flow") — reflecting the old belief that such pain was caused by fluids flowing through the body.