dysosmic
|dys-os-mic|
🇺🇸
/dɪˈzɑːzmɪk/
🇬🇧
/dɪˈzɒzmɪk/
impaired sense of smell
Etymology
'dysosmic' originates from Greek, specifically from the elements 'dys-' and 'osmē' (ὀσμή) where 'dys-' meant 'bad, difficult' and 'osmē' meant 'smell', combined in medical/Neo-Latin formation and given the English adjectival suffix '-ic'.
'dysosmic' changed from the Neo-Latin/medical noun 'dysosmia' (from Greek 'dys-' + 'osmē') and eventually acquired the English adjective form 'dysosmic' via addition of '-ic'.
Initially formed to indicate a 'bad or disordered sense of smell', it has remained a medical/clinical term and is now used to mean 'relating to an impaired or distorted sense of smell'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or characterized by dysosmia — an abnormality of the sense of smell (reduced, distorted, or otherwise altered perception of odors).
After the viral infection many patients were dysosmic and reported that familiar scents smelled wrong or faint.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/27 20:34