noun
rheumatism
ROO-muh-tihz-uhm
Rheumatism (noun) means a general term for pain and stiffness in the joints, muscles, or connective tissue. Example: “Her grandmother's rheumatism flared up whenever the weather turned cold.”
noun
1
A general term for pain and stiffness in the joints, muscles, or connective tissue.
"Her grandmother's rheumatism flared up whenever the weather turned cold."
How to use rheumatism
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn older, general word for joint and muscle pain, now mostly replaced in medicine by more specific terms like arthritis.
When to use it
Mostly used in everyday or older speech rather than modern clinical writing.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- rheumatisms
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her grandmother's _____ flared up whenever the weather turned cold.
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.
Synonyms
View more →
atrophic arthritis
rheumatoid arthritis
Rhymes for rheumatism
See all rhymes for 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.
