As he grew older, his tubercular thinness tended toward emaciation.
Source: wiktionary
Tubercular
/tjuˈbɜːkjələ(ɹ)/
Synonyms for "tubercular" (76 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (16)
Strong matches (22)
Related words (38)
Adjective(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: tuberculous, allergic, anemic, apoplectic, arthritic.
- Sentence evidence is available for tubercular, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "tubercular".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "tubercular"
Keep "tubercular" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "tubercular" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "tubercular", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "tubercular" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
6 entriesextrapulmonary tubercularmiliary tubercularpulmonary tuberculartubercular granulomatubercular infectiontubercular lesion
Collocations
10 entriesconsumptive patientextra pulmonary TBpulmonary tuberculosistubercular bacillitubercular cavitytubercular diseasetubercular granulomatubercular infectiontubercular lesiontubercular patient
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
9 total sentences available.
He set up business in Sydney, the little capital city of one of the middle Southern states, lived soberly and industriously under the attentive eye of a folk still raw with defeat and hostility, and finally, his good name founded and admission won, he married a gaunt tubercular spinstress, ten years his elder, but with a nest egg and an unshakable will to matrimony.
Source: wiktionary
There had been, too, all the long weeks of Rosie’s tubercular dying to go through.
Source: wiktionary
2012, Will Self, “Kafka’s Wound, A digital essay” London Review of Books website, The adult Kafka – the Kafka vermiculated by tubercular bacilli after having been played on for decades, as a demonic organist might press fleshy keys and pull bony stops, by his own relentless neurasthenia – reached a mystical appreciation of his youthful velleity, characterising it as a desire both to expertly hammer together a table and at the same time ‘do nothing’.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 9 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "tubercular"?
Closest matches include tuberculous, allergic, anemic, apoplectic, arthritic.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "tubercular"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.