noun

diabetes

deye-uh-BEE-teez

noun

A metabolic disease in which the body can't produce or properly use insulin, resulting in high blood sugar.

"His doctor diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes after a routine blood test."

"She manages her diabetes with insulin injections and a careful diet."

How to Use Diabetes

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA long-term condition where the body struggles to control blood sugar levels.

Common mistake

Diabetes is uncountable in everyday use — say "she has diabetes," not "a diabetes."

Common pairings

type 1 diabetes type 2 diabetes manage diabetes diagnosed with diabetes

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His doctor diagnosed him with type 2 _____ after a routine blood test.

From Latin diabetes ("siphon"), from Greek diabetes, from diabainein ("to pass through") — a reference to the excessive urination the disease causes.