What does hyper- mean in medical terms?
hyper-
Meaning: excessive, above normal
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what hyper- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using hyper-
hypertension
hyper- (excessive) + tension (pressure) = abnormally high blood pressure
hyper- (excessive) + tension (pressure) = abnormally high blood pressure
hyperglycemia
hyper- (excessive) + glyc (sugar) + emia (blood condition) = an abnormally high level of sugar in the blood
hyper- (excessive) + glyc (sugar) + emia (blood condition) = an abnormally high level of sugar in the blood
hyperthermia
hyper- (excessive) + thermia (heat condition) = an abnormally high body temperature
hyper- (excessive) + thermia (heat condition) = an abnormally high body temperature
Shortened forms
Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.
Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.