重症

• Reading: じゅうしょう
• Romaji: juushou
• Kanji breakdown: 重 (juu) — heavy, serious; 症 (shou) — symptom, illness
• Pronunciation: /dʑɯː.ɕoː/

Meaning

Serious illness; severe condition. A medical condition that is grave or critical.

A noun and no-adjective (重症の) used in medical and news contexts. Distinct from 重病 (serious disease as a category) — 重症 focuses on the severity of the current condition. Commonly seen in 重症患者 (critically ill patient) and 重症化する (to become severe). The opposite is 軽症.

Examples

1. 事故で重症を負った人が病院に運ばれた。 A person with serious injuries from the accident was taken to the hospital.
2. 高齢者は風邪でも重症化しやすい。 Elderly people are more likely to develop severe symptoms even from a cold.
3. 重症患者は集中治療室に入った。 The critically ill patient was admitted to the intensive care unit.

Usage Guide

Context: health, news, emergency medicine

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Compound of 重 (juu, heavy/serious) and 症 (shou, symptom/illness). Literally 'heavy symptoms,' indicating a condition of considerable severity.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal