Asthenic

Asthenic is an adjective used to describe a person who has asthenia, a state of weakness or loss of energy. It can refer to physical weakness, mental fatigue, or a frail or delicate constitution. The term derives from the Greek astheneia, meaning weakness.

In historical medical and psychiatric literature, an asthenic or asthenic constitution described individuals with a slender, fragile build and reduced endurance. The concept appeared in discussions of constitutional types or temperaments and was sometimes linked to heightened sensitivity and vulnerability to stress.

As a medical term, asthenia is a symptom rather than a disease. It occurs in a wide range of conditions, including infections, chronic illnesses, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, sleep disorders, and cancer. Evaluation seeks to identify reversible causes of fatigue and distinguish them from more serious pathology.

Today, the word 'asthenic' is less common in routine clinical language and may be encountered mainly in reference to historical texts or in certain specialties. It remains a defined term in dictionaries to describe weakness or a weak constitution, with asthenia still used as its noun form.