Word
diagnose
Phoneticsdi·ag·nose, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌdaɪəɡˈnoʊs/
UK/dˌaɪəɡnˈəʊz/
Definitions
01medical identification
B2 · Upper Intermediate Medicine
v. to identify a disease or illness by looking at a person's symptoms.
v. to identify the nature of an illness or other medical condition by examination of the symptoms. Transitive, taking the condition or the patient as the direct object.
“The doctor diagnosed her with a mild allergy after she developed a rash.”
“Specialists spent weeks running tests before they could accurately diagnose the rare genetic condition affecting the patient's nervous system.”
02technical or general problems
C1 · Advanced Technical
v. to find the exact cause of a problem with a machine, a system, or a situation.
v. to determine the cause of a mechanical failure, technical fault, or systemic problem through systematic analysis.
“The mechanic used a computer to diagnose the fault in the car's engine.”
“The consultant was hired to diagnose the underlying issues that were causing the company's sudden drop in productivity.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “diagnose” in context.
Verb
01. diagnose that the fault lay elsewhere
“The technician diagnosed that the fault lay in the software rather than the hardware.”
verb + that-clause
02. diagnose the patient with diabetes
“The physician diagnosed the patient with type 2 diabetes after reviewing the blood test results.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. fail to diagnose the problem
“The garage failed to diagnose the problem with the engine, despite keeping the car for three days.”
verb + infinitive
Preposition
04. at the time of being diagnosed
“He was only twenty-five at the time of being diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disorder.”
prep + noun + prep
Adverb
05. correctly diagnose the condition
“It took several visits to different specialists before a doctor was able to correctly diagnose the condition.”
adv + verb
06. definitively diagnose the illness
“A biopsy is often the only way to definitively diagnose the illness.”
adv + verb
Usage
The verb is transitive. When referring to the person, it takes the preposition 'with' ('diagnose him with flu'); when referring to the disease, it takes a direct object ('diagnose flu').
Pitfall
The doctor diagnosed that he has malaria.
The doctor diagnosed him with malaria.
Diagnose is typically followed by a noun phrase (the patient or the disease), not a 'that' clause.
Real-World Examples
“Shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown began, Ashleigh Bell Pedersen was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.” “Paul Eatwell, 65, was diagnosed after a routine blood test.” “The 34-year-old has had anxiety for about a decade, but noticed it became worse after she became a parent and was diagnosed with ADHD.” “The 49-year-old from Chatham was diagnosed with the condition in 2023, five years after she first had symptoms.” Etymology
Back-formation from diagnosis. Compare also sclerose (verb).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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