Question: is nocebo a real word?
Answer: Etymology and usage The term nocebo (Latin nocēbō, "I shall harm", from noceō, "I harm") was coined by Walter Kennedy in 1961 to denote the counterpart to the use of placebo (Latin placēbō, "I shall please", from placeō, "I please"; a substance that may produce a beneficial, healthful, pleasant, or desirable effect).