When someone is allergic, it means their immune system overreacts to a substance that is typically harmless to most people. This can manifest in various physical symptoms like skin rashes, sneezing, or difficulty breathing, depending on the specific allergen. For example, some individuals might be allergic to pollen, leading to hay fever, while others might react to certain foods such as peanuts or shellfish. Beyond its medical meaning, the term is also frequently used informally to express a strong aversion or dislike towards something. So, if someone says they're "allergic to mornings," they're playfully indicating a strong disinclination for getting up early.
§ Allergic vs. Sensitive
The words 'allergic' and 'sensitive' are often used interchangeably, but there's a nuanced distinction, especially in medical contexts. While both describe an adverse reaction to a substance, 'allergic' implies an immune system response, whereas 'sensitive' can refer to a broader range of milder, non-immune reactions.
- DEFINITION
- Having a medical condition that causes a physical reaction, such as a rash or sneezing, when you touch, eat, or breathe a particular substance.
She is allergic to peanuts, so we need to be very careful with her food.
- DEFINITION
- Having a tendency to be easily affected by something, often with discomfort or irritation, but not necessarily involving an immune response.
My skin is very sensitive to strong perfumes.
§ Allergic vs. Intolerant
The distinction between 'allergic' and 'intolerant' is particularly relevant when discussing food reactions. While both can cause unpleasant symptoms, an allergy is an immune system response, while intolerance is a digestive issue.
- DEFINITION
- Having a medical condition that causes a physical reaction, such as a rash or sneezing, when you touch, eat, or breathe a particular substance.
He is severely allergic to shellfish, so even a small amount can be dangerous.
- DEFINITION
- Having difficulty digesting a particular food or substance, leading to uncomfortable symptoms but typically not an immune response.
Many people are lactose intolerant and experience bloating after consuming dairy.
§ Informal Use of 'Allergic'
Beyond its medical definition, 'allergic' is frequently used informally to express a strong dislike or aversion to something, often humorously or hyperbolically.
- DEFINITION
- Used informally to describe a strong dislike for something.
I'm allergic to early mornings on the weekends!
- Averse: This word expresses a strong feeling of dislike or opposition. It's more formal than the informal use of 'allergic'.
She is averse to public speaking.
- Disgusted: This implies a feeling of revulsion or strong disapproval.
He was disgusted by the mess in the kitchen.
- Repulsed: Similar to disgusted, but often implies a more intense feeling of aversion, almost a physical recoil.
She felt repulsed by his rude behavior.
Ejemplos por nivel
I am allergic to cats.
Tengo alergia a los gatos.
She is allergic to peanuts.
Ella es alérgica a los cacahuetes.
He gets a rash because he is allergic to pollen.
Le sale una erupción porque es alérgico al polen.
Are you allergic to anything?
¿Eres alérgico a algo?
My friend is allergic to dust.
Mi amigo es alérgico al polvo.
I am allergic to seafood.
Tengo alergia a los mariscos.
The doctor asked if I am allergic to any medicine.
El médico preguntó si soy alérgico a algún medicamento.
My sister is allergic to some fruits.
Mi hermana es alérgica a algunas frutas.
My sister is allergic to cats, so we can't have one as a pet.
Mi hermana es alérgica a los gatos, así que no podemos tener uno como mascota.
Used with 'to' + noun to indicate the substance causing the allergy.
He gets a rash whenever he eats nuts; he's severely allergic.
Le sale una erupción cada vez que come nueces; es gravemente alérgico.
Used as an adjective, often with 'severely' to emphasize the degree of allergy.
If you're allergic to penicillin, you must inform the doctor immediately.
Si eres alérgico a la penicilina, debes informar al médico inmediatamente.
Used in a conditional sentence to give advice about a medical condition.
She claims to be allergic to housework, which is why her room is always messy.
Ella dice ser alérgica a las tareas domésticas, por eso su habitación siempre está desordenada.
Informal use, meaning a strong dislike or avoidance of something.
I'm allergic to mornings, so I always need a big cup of coffee to start my day.
Soy alérgico a las mañanas, así que siempre necesito una gran taza de café para empezar el día.
Informal use, expressing a strong disinclination or aversion.
Before getting a new pet, it's important to check if anyone in the family is allergic to animal dander.
Antes de tener una nueva mascota, es importante comprobar si alguien de la familia es alérgico a la caspa de los animales.
Used in a general statement about preventing allergic reactions.
He tried shrimp for the first time and realized he was allergic when his throat started to swell.
Probó camarones por primera vez y se dio cuenta de que era alérgico cuando su garganta empezó a hincharse.
Describes a sudden realization of an allergy.
My boss seems allergic to new ideas; he always prefers to stick to the old methods.
Mi jefe parece alérgico a las ideas nuevas; siempre prefiere apegarse a los métodos antiguos.
Figurative and informal use, implying resistance or aversion to something.
She's severely allergic to peanuts, so we need to ensure there are no nuts in her meal.
She has a serious peanut allergy.
The adjective 'allergic' is typically followed by 'to' when indicating the substance causing the reaction.
Many people are allergic to dust mites, experiencing sneezing and itchy eyes in dusty environments.
Dust mites cause allergies in many people.
The plural noun 'dust mites' follows 'to' because it's the specific allergen.
He discovered he was allergic to certain types of pollen after moving to the countryside.
He found out that certain pollens triggered his allergies.
The phrase 'certain types of pollen' specifies the allergens.
My cat is allergic to flea bites, which causes her skin to become very irritated and itchy.
Flea bites make my cat's skin irritated.
'Flea bites' is the specific cause of the allergic reaction in this sentence.
Informally, he's allergic to doing housework, always finding excuses to avoid chores.
Informally, he strongly dislikes doing housework.
In its informal use, 'allergic to' expresses a strong aversion, followed by a gerund ('doing').
Some people are allergic to strong perfumes, experiencing headaches or respiratory issues.
Strong perfumes cause problems for some people.
The adjective 'strong' modifies 'perfumes', which is the allergen.
The politician seemed allergic to public scrutiny, avoiding interviews and direct questions.
The politician really didn't like being scrutinized by the public.
This informal usage indicates a strong dislike or avoidance of 'public scrutiny'.
Even a tiny amount of gluten can trigger a severe reaction in someone who is allergic to it.
A small amount of gluten can cause a big reaction in someone with an allergy.
The pronoun 'it' refers back to 'gluten', avoiding repetition.
Sinónimos
Antónimos
Colocaciones comunes
Frases Comunes
I'm allergic to cats.
Soy alérgico a los gatos.
Are you allergic to anything?
¿Eres alérgico a algo?
She's allergic to penicillin.
Ella es alérgica a la penicilina.
He's allergic to seafood.
Él es alérgico a los mariscos.
I'm allergic to early mornings.
Soy alérgico a las mañanas tempranas. (uso informal)
They're allergic to hard work.
Ellos son alérgicos al trabajo duro. (uso informal)
I have an allergic reaction to dust.
Tengo una reacción alérgica al polvo.
My skin is allergic to certain soaps.
Mi piel es alérgica a ciertos jabones.
He gets an allergic cough in spring.
Él tiene tos alérgica en primavera.
I'm allergic to anything spicy.
Soy alérgico a cualquier cosa picante. (uso informal)
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Imagine someone with allergies saying, "**ALL**ergies make me **ER**upt, **GIC**ho!" (A play on the sound 'gic' to resemble a sneeze).
Asociación visual
Picture a person covered in a red rash (the physical reaction) while pointing to a buzzing bee (the substance). The person is visibly uncomfortable and sneezing. In a thought bubble above their head, you see a big red 'X' over a broccoli floret, symbolizing a strong dislike.
Word Web
Desafío
Describe a time you or someone you know had an allergic reaction, either physically or informally regarding a strong dislike for something. Use the word 'allergic' correctly in both contexts.
Ponte a prueba 48 preguntas
I am ___ to nuts, so I cannot eat them.
If you are allergic to something, you cannot eat or touch it because it makes you sick.
She starts to sneeze when she is near cats because she is ___ to them.
Being allergic to cats can make you sneeze or have other reactions.
My brother is ___ to dust, so he cleans his room often.
If you are allergic to dust, you might try to avoid it by cleaning.
I get a rash when I touch certain plants. I am ___ to them.
A rash is a common reaction if you are allergic to something you touch.
He is ___ to pollen in the spring, so his eyes get itchy.
Pollen allergies are common and can make your eyes itchy.
My friend is ___ to seafood. He cannot eat shrimp or fish.
Being allergic to seafood means you cannot eat certain types of food from the ocean.
My friend is ______ to cats. She sneezes when they are near.
To be allergic means to have a bad reaction to something. In this case, cats cause sneezing.
If you are allergic to nuts, you should not ______ them.
If you are allergic to food, you should avoid eating it to prevent a reaction.
She has a rash because she is allergic to a new ______.
A rash is a skin reaction, which can be caused by touching something you are allergic to, like soap.
If you are allergic to pollen, you might sneeze in the spring.
Pollen is a common allergen that can cause sneezing and other allergic reactions, especially in spring.
Being allergic means you love something very much.
Being allergic means having a physical reaction or a strong dislike for something, not loving it.
He says he is allergic to homework, which means he really dislikes it.
The word 'allergic' can be used informally to mean a strong dislike for something, like homework.
Write a short sentence about something you don't like. Use the word 'allergic' informally.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
I am allergic to mornings. I don't like to wake up early.
Imagine you have a friend who is allergic to cats. Write one sentence telling them what they should do.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
If you are allergic to cats, you should not touch them.
Complete the sentence: 'My friend is allergic to peanuts, so they cannot eat ______.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
My friend is allergic to peanuts, so they cannot eat peanut butter.
What happens when Anna eats strawberries?
Read this passage:
Anna has a problem. When she eats strawberries, her skin gets red and itchy. She cannot eat strawberries anymore. She is allergic to strawberries.
What happens when Anna eats strawberries?
The passage states, 'When she eats strawberries, her skin gets red and itchy.'
The passage states, 'When she eats strawberries, her skin gets red and itchy.'
What makes some people sneeze?
Read this passage:
Some people are allergic to pollen. Pollen is a powder from flowers. When these people breathe pollen, they sneeze a lot. They need to stay inside when there is a lot of pollen in the air.
What makes some people sneeze?
The passage says, 'When these people breathe pollen, they sneeze a lot.'
The passage says, 'When these people breathe pollen, they sneeze a lot.'
Why does the brother cough?
Read this passage:
My brother is allergic to dust. When he cleans his room, he starts to cough. He needs to wear a mask to help him not cough.
Why does the brother cough?
The passage states, 'My brother is allergic to dust. When he cleans his room, he starts to cough.'
The passage states, 'My brother is allergic to dust. When he cleans his room, he starts to cough.'
Listen for what the speaker cannot eat.
Listen for what causes the rash.
Listen for what makes him sneeze.
Read this aloud:
I am allergic to pollen in the spring.
Focus: allergic, pollen, spring
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
My friend is allergic to shellfish.
Focus: allergic, shellfish
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Do you have any allergies?
Focus: allergies
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Which sentence correctly uses 'allergic' in its medical sense?
Being 'allergic to peanuts' is a medical condition where someone has a physical reaction to peanuts.
Which sentence uses 'allergic' informally to mean a strong dislike?
Saying 'I'm allergic to mornings' is an informal way to express a strong dislike for mornings, not a medical condition.
If you are allergic to pollen, what might happen?
Being allergic to pollen often causes symptoms like sneezing, especially during spring when pollen counts are high.
If you are allergic to dogs, you will get sick if you eat a dog.
Being allergic to dogs usually means reacting to their fur or dander, not to eating them. Also, eating dogs is not a common practice.
Someone who says they are 'allergic to homework' means they hate doing homework.
This is an informal use of 'allergic' to express a strong dislike, not a medical condition.
An allergic reaction always includes a fever.
Allergic reactions can have many symptoms like rashes, sneezing, or swelling, but a fever is not a universal symptom.
The speaker has a medical reaction to cats.
This person has a strong reaction to a certain food.
This is an informal use of the word.
Read this aloud:
I'm allergic to pollen every spring.
Focus: allergic
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
My brother is allergic to shellfish.
Focus: shellfish
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Are you allergic to anything?
Focus: anything
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The correct order forms a common sentence structure indicating an allergy.
This sentence describes a physical allergic response.
This sentence uses 'allergic' in its informal sense, expressing a strong dislike.
The sentence describes a severe allergy to peanuts.
This sentence describes how pollen season exacerbates hay fever allergic reactions.
The sentence discusses allergic reactions to medications.
/ 48 correct
Perfect score!
Ejemplo
I'm allergic to cats, so I start sneezing the moment I enter a house with pets.
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