valetudinariann.adj.
/ˌvalᵻˌtjuːdᵻˈnɛːrɪən/, /ˌvalᵻˌtʃuːdᵻˈnɛːrɪən/, U.S. /ˌvæləˌt(j)udnˈɛriən/ A. n.figurative.1712 E. Budgell Spectator No. 395. ¶10 These are a kind of Valetudinarians in Chastity.1780 R. B. Sheridan School for Scandal i. i. 9 True, Madam; there are Valetudinarians in reputation as well as constitution.1873 E. M. Goulburn Thoughts Pers. Relig. ii. v. 81 The man becomes a valetudinarian in religion, full of himself, his symptoms, his ailments, the delicacy of his moral health.
A person in weak health, esp. one who is constantly concerned with his own ailments; an invalid.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > sick person > [noun]
sickc888
lazar1340
sickmanc1340
laborant?a1425
suffererc1450
malade1483
patient1484
lazar-man1552
languisher1599
ruina1616
plaintiff1633
valetudinarist1651
valetudinaire?c1682
valetudinarian1703
invalid1709
infirm1711
invaletudinarian1762
valetudinary1785
complainant1861
aegrotant1865
degenerate1895
1703 W. Dampier Voy. New Holland ii. 81 Many of our English Valetudinarians have gone from Jamaica..to the I. Caimanes,..to live wholly upon Turtle that then abound there.
1746 R. James in Moffett & Bennet's Health's Improvem. (new ed.) Introd. 45 Such who have very strong Constitutions, are more liable to pestilential Disorders, and putrid Fevers, than Valetudinarians.
1787 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 1056/2 Every one knows how hard a task it is to cure a valetudinarian.
1832 J. A. Heraud Voy. & Mem. Midshipman (1837) vi. 102 The hot springs and medicinal vapours..must at a very early period have excited the attention of valetudinarians.
1880 L. Stephen Alexander Pope iv. 92 Naturally, he fell into many of the self-indulgent and troublesome ways of the valetudinarian.
B. adj.
= valetudinary adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > [adjective] > characterized by ill health
sickly1406
queasy1603
valetudinary1620
valetudinarian1713
the world > health and disease > ill health > [adjective] > in state of ill health or diseased > weak
unmightyeOE
unferea1060
unwieldc1220
fade1303
lewc1325
weak1340
fainta1375
sicklyc1374
unwieldyc1386
impotent1390
delicatea1398
lowa1398
unmighta1450
unlustyc1450
low-brought1459
wearyc1480
failed1490
worn1508
caduke?1518
fainty1530
weak1535
debile1536
fluey1545
tewly?1547
faltering1549
puling1549
imbecilec1550
debilitate1552
flash1562
unable1577
unhealthful1595
unabled1597
whindling1601
infirm1608
debilitated1611
bedrid1629
washya1631
silly1636
fluea1645
tender1645
invaletudinary1661
languishant1674
valetudinaire?c1682
puly1688
thriftless1693
unheartya1699
wishy-washy1703
enervate1706
valetudinarian1713
lask1727
wersh1755
palliea1774
wankle1781
asthenic1789
atonic1792
squeal1794
adynamic1803
worn-down1814
totterish1817
asthenical1819
prostrate1820
used up1823
wankya1825
creaky1834
groggy1834
puny1838
imbeciled1840
rickety-rackety1840
muscleless1841
weedy1849
tottery1861
crocky1880
wimbly-wambly1881
ramshackle1889
twitterly1896
twittery1907
wonky1919
strung out1959
1713 W. Derham Physico-theol. iii. iv. 72 An admirable Easement..to the Valetudinarian, feeble Part of Mankind.
1740 G. Cheyne Ess. Regimen i The Scorbutic, Gouty, Consumptive, or Nervous Valetudinarian-low-livers.
1751 Earl of Orrery Remarks Swift (1752) 113 His fortune exempted him from care and sollicitude. His valetudinarian habit of body from intemperance.
1856 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) II. 118 The valetudinarian devotee becomes more and more the puppet of his spiritual doctor.
1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) III. 283 Asclepius did not instruct his descendants in valetudinarian arts.
Derivatives
valetudiˈnarianism n. the condition of a valetudinarian; tendency to be in weak health or to be much concerned about one's own health.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > [noun]
unhealc700
untrumnessc897
adleeOE
sicknessc967
cothec1000
unhealthc1000
woe?a1200
ail?c1225
lying?c1225
maladyc1275
unsoundc1275
feebless1297
languora1375
languishc1384
disease1393
aegritudea1400
lamea1400
maleasea1400
soughta1400
wilc1400
malefaction?a1425
firmityc1426
unwholesomenessc1449
ill1450
languenta1500
distemperancea1535
the valley of the shadow of death1535
affect?1537
affection?1541
distemperature1541
inability1547
sickliness1565
languishment1576
cause1578
unhealthfulness1589
crazedness1593
languorment1593
evilness1599
strickenness1599
craziness1602
distemper1604
unsoundness1605
invaletude1623
unhealthiness1634
achaque1647
unwellness1653
disailment1657
insalubrity1668
faintiness1683
queerness1687
invalidity1690
illness1692
ill health1698
ailment1708
illing1719
invalescence1724
peakingness1727
sickishness1727
valetudinariness1742
ailingness1776
brash1786
invalidism1794
poorliness1814
diseasement1826
invalidship1830
valetudinarianism1839
ailing1862
invalidhood1863
megrims1870
pourriture1890
immersement1903
bug1918
condition1920
1839 Fraser's Mag. 19 52 Those traces of laborious valetudinarianism and nervous sensibility.
1868 W. R. Greg Lit. & Social Judgm. 490 The bolder spirits.., perhaps over-recklessly, despise such egotistic valetudinarianism.
1892 Speaker 30 July 141/2 The schoolmistress has had to forget her valetudinarianism and patent medicines in the struggle for existence.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1916; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.adj.1703