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syndrome

/ˈsɪndɹəʊm/

In medical contexts, a syndrome is different from a disease because it describes a collection of symptoms rather than a single known cause. When used metaphorically to describe social behavior (like "imposter syndrome"), the word is often used more casually to describe a common feeling or pattern of behavior shared by many people.

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Mid-shift in the cramped, oil-stained maintenance bay of a Martian outpost.
Commander Tom

I can't stop staring at old photos of rain. I think I've got Stockholm syndrome for Earth.

Commander Tom
Kip
Kip

Get a grip, Tom. The oxygen scrubber is on its last legs again.

💡
Commander Tom uses 'Stockholm syndrome' metaphorically to describe his obsessive longing for a home he can no longer return to. Kip's response 'get a grip' is a common idiom meaning to regain self-control or stop being overly emotional, contrasting the Commander's melodrama with the urgent, mundane stress of ship maintenance.

Meanings

noun

A group of symptoms which consistently occur together, or a characteristic combination of signs and symptoms that occur with a specific disease or medical condition.

"The patient was diagnosed with Down syndrome after prenatal screening."

noun

A condition or set of behaviors associated with a particular situation or psychological state, often used metaphorically to describe a widespread social phenomenon.

"Many new parents experience "empty nest syndrome" once their children leave for college."

Related Words

Last Updated: May 22, 2026Report an Error