ageusia
Very LowTechnical/Medical
Definition
Meaning
The complete loss of the sense of taste.
A medical condition characterized by the inability to perceive taste, which can result from neurological damage, illness, or medication side effects.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Specifically denotes complete loss; for partial loss, "hypogeusia" is used.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences.
Connotations
Purely medical term in both regions.
Frequency
Equally rare in professional medical contexts; virtually non-existent in general discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Patient experiences ageusia.Ageusia results from (cause).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in medical and neuroscience literature.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used in clinical diagnosis, neurology, and ENT reports.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- ageusic patients
- the ageusic condition
American English
- ageusic patients
- an ageusic individual
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The doctor said the medicine could cause ageusia.
- After the head injury, the patient developed complete ageusia, losing all sense of taste.
- Persistent ageusia, distinct from the more common hyposmia, is a rare but debilitating sequela of certain viral infections.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A (without) + geusia (Greek for taste). 'Ageusia' = without taste.
Conceptual Metaphor
Taste as a faculty/sense that can be switched off or disconnected.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'агония' (agony) - completely different. The Russian medical term is 'агезия'.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing it /əˈɡuːsiə/ (incorrect). Using it to mean a reduced sense of taste (incorrect, that's hypogeusia).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary difference between ageusia and hypogeusia?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, complete ageusia is relatively rare. Temporary taste disturbances are more common.
Yes, ageusia only affects taste. However, the two senses are closely linked, so loss of smell (anosmia) often mimics or accompanies taste problems.
Common causes include damage to the taste nerves (from head injury or surgery), certain medications, neurological disorders, and severe vitamin deficiencies.
No. A cold typically causes smell loss, which reduces flavour perception. True ageusia, where even basic tastes (sweet, salty) on the tongue are absent, is much less common.