verb
Uncommon
diagnose
DUH-ih-uhg-nohz
Diagnose (verb) means to identify a disease or condition from a patient's symptoms. Example: “The doctor diagnosed her with a mild case of the flu.”
verb
1
To identify a disease or condition from a patient's symptoms.
"The doctor diagnosed her with a mild case of the flu."
"It took several tests before the specialist could diagnose the illness."
2
To identify the cause of any problem.
"The mechanic quickly diagnosed the engine trouble as a faulty sensor."
How to use diagnose
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo figure out exactly what is wrong, whether with a person's health or a broken machine.
Common mistake
You diagnose a *condition*, but a *person* "is diagnosed with" a condition — "diagnosed with diabetes," not "diagnosed diabetes."
Common pairings
diagnose a condition
diagnosed with cancer
diagnose the problem
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- diagnoses
- Past tense
- diagnosed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The doctor _____ her with a mild case of the flu.
Etymology
A back-formation from diagnosis, ultimately from Greek diagignoskein ("to distinguish, discern").
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for diagnose
See all rhymes for diagnose →Frequently asked questions
What does “diagnose” mean?
The word “diagnose” means to identify a disease or condition from a patient's symptoms. In plain terms, to figure out exactly what is wrong, whether with a person's health or a broken machine.
How do you pronounce “diagnose”?
“Diagnose” is pronounced DUH-ih-uhg-nohz (/ˈdaɪ.əɡˌnoʊs/ in IPA).
How do you use “diagnose” in a sentence?
Here is “diagnose” used in a sentence: “The doctor diagnosed her with a mild case of the flu.”
What part of speech is “diagnose”?
“Diagnose” is a verb.
Where does the word “diagnose” come from?
The word “diagnose” comes from Greek. A back-formation from diagnosis, ultimately from Greek diagignoskein ("to distinguish, discern").
Is “diagnose” a common word?
“Diagnose” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “diagnose” have?
“Diagnose” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to identify a disease or condition from a patient's symptoms.
