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GRE vocabulary

pathological

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore P words

relating to or caused by disease, or compulsive and unreasonable to a degree that resembles illness

In a sentence

Pathological in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing pathological in a sentence.

His pathological need for approval made genuine relationships nearly impossible.

His pathological need for control made delegation nearly impossible.

Synonyms
morbidcompulsiveobsessivediseased
Antonyms
healthynormalrationalfunctional
Usage & nuance

Using “pathological” well

Pathological spans two senses: a medical one (caused by disease) and a figurative one (compulsive to an unhealthy degree). Watch for the related pathogenic, which means disease-causing rather than diseased.

Common questions

Questions about “pathological

Pathological (adjective) means relating to or caused by disease, or compulsive and unreasonable to a degree that resembles illness
Here is pathological used in an example sentence: "His pathological need for approval made genuine relationships nearly impossible." Another example: "His pathological need for control made delegation nearly impossible."
Common synonyms for pathological include morbid, compulsive, obsessive, diseased.
Antonyms of pathological include healthy, normal, rational, functional.
On the GRE, pathological clusters with morbid, compulsive, obsessive, and diseased, opposing healthy, normal, rational, and functional.
Yes. Pathological is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.