What does asthmatic mean?
"Asthmatic" is an adjective describing anything relating to asthma, the chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. It is most commonly applied to people — "she's asthmatic" means she has asthma — but it can also describe breathing that sounds labored or wheezy, or conditions that trigger asthma symptoms, such as cold air, dust, or exertion. The word can also function as a noun meaning a person who suffers from asthma, though modern style guides increasingly prefer person-first phrasing like "a person with asthma." Derived from the ancient Greek "asthma," meaning panting or gasping breath, it entered English via Latin in the early modern period. Because asthma affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, "asthmatic" appears frequently in medical writing, weather reports about pollen or air quality, and everyday conversation, making it a practical and widely understood term.
A person who suffers from asthma.
"As an asthmatic, he had always been cautious about exercising outdoors in winter."
Increasingly replaced by 'person with asthma' in person-first language.
Relating to or characteristic of asthma; suffering from asthma.
"Her asthmatic wheeze grew worse as pollen counts rose through spring."
Refers to multiple people who suffer from asthma.
"The clinic offers specialized care for asthmatics of all ages."
The word 'asthmatic' comes from the Greek 'asthma,' meaning 'panting' — a word so old that Hippocrates himself wrote about it over 2,000 years ago.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of asthmatic
"Asthmatic" derives from the Greek "asthma," meaning "panting" or "short-drawn breath," which itself likely comes from the verb "azein," to breathe hard. The Greek term passed into Latin and then into English, with the adjective form attested from around the early 17th century. It shares its root with "asthma" itself and with related descriptive words for labored breathing found across European languages.
Related word forms
How asthmatic is actually used
In modern medical and everyday usage, 'asthmatic' most often functions as an adjective describing symptoms, attacks, or people affected by asthma. Using it as a noun ('an asthmatic') is now sometimes considered less person-first than saying 'a person with asthma.'
Easily confused with asthmatic
Asthma is the medical condition itself, while asthmatic describes something or someone affected by that condition.