# heartsink patient

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A recurring patient who cannot be definitively cured, such as one whose condition is undiagnosable or untreatable or who presents nebulous symptoms.

## Etymology
From the idea that the patient's approach makes the doctor's heart sink in dread.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/heartsink-patient