What does gouty mean?
Gouty is an adjective meaning affected by gout or characterized by the painful inflammation and deposits associated with that condition. It is used especially when referring to a person’s symptoms, as in gouty fingers, a gouty knee, or gouty arthritis, and when describing pain caused by gout. The term is most common in medical and formal writing and is less frequent in casual conversation, where people may simply say gout. Gout itself is a disorder involving inflammation caused by elevated uric acid in the blood, often affecting the joints, particularly those of the feet. Gouty does not normally name the disease but instead describes what the disease affects or produces. This distinction also helps separate the adjective from the more familiar noun gout. Though medically precise and still entirely standard, gouty can have a slightly dated or literary quality when used outside clinical contexts.
adjectiveAffected by or suffering from gout, especially characterized by painful inflammation or deposits associated with the condition.
- Affected by or suffering from gout.
- Characterized by the inflammation, pain, or deposits associated with gout.
"After the long walk, his gouty knee began to swell and throb."
"The doctor recommended rest and medication for his gouty ankle."
"Gouty arthritis can make even small movements extremely painful."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gouty
Gouty was formed in English from the noun gout and the suffix -y. The base word gout came through Old French from Medieval Latin guttā and ultimately Latin gutta, meaning “drop.” The adjective has long been used for someone affected by gout and for bodily conditions characterized by the disease.
Related word forms
How gouty is actually used
Chiefly a formal or medical adjective. It is less common in everyday speech than the noun gout, and it may sound somewhat old-fashioned in nonmedical contexts.
Easily confused with gouty
Gout names the disease itself, while gouty describes a person or body part affected by it or characterizes something associated with the condition.