Image by New Word #120
well-being: being healthy and happy
indisposed: unwell in one’s health.
wholesome: conducive to or suggestive of good health and physical well-being.
healthy vs. hearty vs. healthful: These three words all mean being healthy, but I particularly like the last word, for the simple reason that it sounds like a word that’s created by a non-native speaker, although of course it is not.
salubrious: healthy
sound vs. unsound: The word sound and its antonym unsound are often used to describe an argument or a financial situation. However sometimes they are also used to describe health–the word sound is used to refer to good health in body and mind, and the word unsound is used to refer to bad health in body and mind.
neurosis: a relatively mild mental illness caused by stress or depression.
valetudinarian: a person who is unduly anxious about their health. If you want to know the “three long vales in English”, here is my post.
hypochondriac: a person who is abnormally anxious about their health.
under the weather: slightly unwell or in low spirits.
complexion: the natural color, texture, and appearance of a person’s skin, especially of the face.
- healthy complexion vs. unhealthy complexion
- ruddy: (of a person’s face) having a healthy red color.
- pallid or pallor: (of a person’s face) pale, typically because of poor health.
- jaundice: a medical condition with yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
- glowing: a healthy color to the face
- haggard: looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.
- sallow: (of a person’s face or complexion) of an unhealthy yellow.
- reddened: make or become red, due to crying or anger
- blemish: a small imperfection on the skin
- tanned: having brown or darkened skin after exposure to the sun.
“A person who’s in good health but imagines being ill”: There’s no word for this. However I know some people who would like to go to doctors to feel that they are being taken care of. So they don’t really have any illnesses but they tend to think they are unwell.
“A person who’s sick but pretend to be normal”: There’s no word for this. However I’ve witnessed people with illnesses who refuse to acknowledge it, especially mental problems. Actually I know at least a couple of people who would go to doctors very often to complain about their physical illnesses and would talk incessantly about their physical indispositions from acid reflux, migraine, insomnia to neurosis. However they refuse to think they actually suffer from mental issues at all. As an amateur psychiatrist, I have given my secret diagnosis that I dare not reveal to them–they grew up under typical narcissistic parents who ruined their mental health for life. As adults, they think they are mentally sound and rational, but they are not. They don’t realize it and I will never broach this topic with them for fear of their rejection and denial although I am dying to broach this topic.
Haoyan Do 
Both “salubrious” and “valetudinarian” are new words that I just learnt. Wonderful post. I always learn some new words from your posts like this one.
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Me too. I can never remember them and I’ve never used them. However, for some strange reason, it makes me feel good to acknowledge their existence. Thank you for your sweet words and it gives me the inspiration to go on.
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I rarely use words like these but I always enjoy learning about them too lol.
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True. I mean do they ever get utilized at all? What kind of people would use archaic and obscure words like that? Hmmm… probably an immigrant who tries to show off… How much is the English language torturing non-native speakers?
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Lol true, I think non-native speakers use such words so much more often. And we try so hard to use the correct grammar even though native speakers use incorrect grammar regularly.
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Native speakers don’t really care while non-native speakers are heartbroken by incorrect grammars committed by other people or by themselves.
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Mental well-being is not acknowledged, not addressed, and if it is, many times the treatments or therapies are so disheartening. I wish more effort was being put into researching and understanding this specific subject.
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I really observed an uptick of mental issues in the past several years among the people I interact with. We are definitely collectively crazier than before, although I hope the degree of craziness is still mild and manageable. Just yesterday, I was talking with C about this and she has the same feeling.
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Thank you.
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I especially like “salubrious” 😁. I fear, though, it won’t stick in my mind to use when I need it 🙈
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I enjoy reading your exploration of topics. You bring great insight into many things.
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Thank you. I tried to but sometimes people will tell me that I beat a topic to death. LOL. I don’t know when to stop and I have to be more careful.
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I get the same response.
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Me too.
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As always an interesting and instructive post, especially for those who, like me, are not English
Thanks a lot
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Thank you for your sweet encouragement, which keeps me going.
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You are more than welcome!
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Thank you.
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Interesting list – as always. The word “hypochondriac” has changed its meaning a bit over the years. James Boswell, in the late 18th century, used it describe feelings of anxiety and depression – unlike its modern meaning. In the mid 19th century people said they were ‘hipped” – meaning they were depressed. Doctors (in the UK at any rate) often talk about the “worried well”. I suppose this is a bit kinder than describing people as hypochondriacs!
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Actually I’ve never seen this word being used. Or probably in one of the books of early 20th century, but recently it is all about neurosis etc. I am collecting these words just to show off my knowledge in English–you know as a non-native speaker, I have to be prepared always to defend my language insecurity. LOL.
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People are commonly “under the weather” but never “over the weather.”
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Happiness is not related with “over the weather”. So true.
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