Athymia

/eɪˈθɪmiə/ noun

Definition

A medical or psychological condition characterized by the absence or loss of emotion, will, or feeling.

Etymology

From Greek 'a-' (without) + 'thymos' (spirit, emotion, will), literally meaning 'without thymus or emotional spirit.' The term entered medical English in the 19th century.

Kelly Says

Doctors borrowed this from ancient Greek philosophy where 'thymos' meant the passionate, spirited part of the soul—so 'athymia' suggests someone's inner fire has gone out, which is poetically darker than modern terms like 'anhedonia' or 'apathy.'

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