bromhidrosis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareTechnical/Medical
Quick answer
What does “bromhidrosis” mean?
A medical condition characterized by foul-smelling sweat.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medical condition characterized by foul-smelling sweat.
The condition of producing sweat with an unusually strong, offensive odour, typically caused by the bacterial breakdown of sweat in areas like the armpits or feet.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences. The term is identical in both dialects.
Connotations
Purely clinical; carries no additional cultural connotations.
Frequency
Equally rare in both British and American English, confined to medical professionals, textbooks, and some pharmaceutical advertising.
Grammar
How to Use “bromhidrosis” in a Sentence
Patient suffers from bromhidrosis.Treatment is indicated for bromhidrosis.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bromhidrosis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- No standard verb form.
American English
- No standard verb form.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverb form.
American English
- No standard adverb form.
adjective
British English
- The bromhidrotic condition required specialist treatment.
American English
- The patient presented with bromhidrotic symptoms.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare; potentially in marketing for clinical deodorants.
Academic
Used in medical and dermatology papers, textbooks, and lectures.
Everyday
Virtually never used. People would say "really bad BO" or "smelly sweat".
Technical
Standard term in medical diagnosis, dermatology, and related product literature.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bromhidrosis”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bromhidrosis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bromhidrosis”
- Misspelling as 'bromidrosis' (missing the 'h').
- Mispronouncing the 'hidr' as 'hide-er' instead of 'hid-ro'.
- Using it in casual conversation where it sounds overly clinical and pretentious.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Bromhidrosis is a medical term for a severe, chronic condition of foul-smelling sweat. Regular body odour (BO) is a common, mild occurrence.
It can often be managed effectively with medical treatments like prescription antiperspirants, medications, or in some cases, procedures like botulinum toxin injections or microwave therapy.
Yes. A doctor, often a dermatologist, can provide a proper diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment, ruling out other underlying causes.
No. It is a highly specialised medical term. In everyday situations, people use phrases like 'bad BO', 'strong body smell', or 'smelly sweat'.
A medical condition characterized by foul-smelling sweat.
Bromhidrosis is usually technical/medical in register.
Bromhidrosis: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbrɒmhɪˈdrəʊsɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbrɑːmhɪˈdroʊsɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No idioms exist for this technical term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'BROther has a foul SMELL (brom-) from his HIDden sweat glands (hidrosis).'
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS AN INVADER (requires treatment to combat it).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the word 'bromhidrosis'?