der Herzinfarkt, -e

Definition & meaning

Herzinfarkt means heart attack or, medically, myocardial infarction. It occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot in a narrowed coronary artery. Without sufficient oxygen, the affected heart tissue can become permanently damaged.

The plural is die Herzinfarkte.

Grammar & Word origin

• Gender: masculine — der Herzinfarkt
• Plural: die Herzinfarkte
• Compound:
  • das Herz — heart
  • der Infarkt — infarction, tissue damage caused by interrupted blood supply

The word is a German compound noun meaning literally “heart infarction.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• die Herzattacke ↗ — heart attack; more informal and sometimes used less precisely than Herzinfarkt.
• der Myokardinfarkt ↗ — myocardial infarction; a technical medical term.
• der Herzmuskelinfarkt ↗ — infarction of the heart muscle; a more descriptive medical term.

There is no exact German antonym for Herzinfarkt. Depending on the context, contrasting expressions include:

• ein gesundes Herz ↗ — a healthy heart
• die Herzgesundheit ↗ — cardiovascular health

Common phrases & collocations

• einen Herzinfarkt erleiden ↗ — to suffer a heart attack
• einen Herzinfarkt bekommen ↗ — to have or get a heart attack
• einen Herzinfarkt überleben ↗ — to survive a heart attack
• akuter Herzinfarkt ↗ — acute heart attack
• leichter Herzinfarkt ↗ — mild heart attack
• schwerer Herzinfarkt ↗ — severe heart attack
• Herzinfarkt vorbeugen ↗ — to prevent a heart attack