1
a
: ill health : illness
b
: a disordered, weakened, or unsound condition
2
: a specific disease
3
: nausea, queasiness
Examples of sickness in a Sentence
He died from an unknown sickness.
she was plagued by sickness most of her adult life
Recent Examples on the Web
The couple has been beset by illness—Kendall had his own recent brush with mortality—and the story that Lockwood’s book, and my Profile, tells deals with sickness and recovery, but also with caretaking, companionship, and, above all, love.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
Minor gastrointestinal discomfort is probably the most common symptom; however, pathogens that may cause only minor sickness in some people may cause serious conditions or death in others, especially in the very young, old, or those with weakened immune systems.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
During his review of workplace sickness, Mayfield concluded that adapting work to staff with health problems was a huge issue that required employers to change, but suggested extra duties on businesses were not the answer.
—Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Before the Trump administration pulled it offline, the federal National Climate Assessment showed greenhouse gases causing both an accelerating pace of multibillion-dollar disasters and a more insidious onslaught of sickness caused by heat, smoke and migrating pathogens.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickness
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Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
Minor gastrointestinal discomfort is probably the most common symptom; however, pathogens that may cause only minor sickness in some people may cause serious conditions or death in others, especially in the very young, old, or those with weakened immune systems.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 22 Aug. 2025
During his review of workplace sickness, Mayfield concluded that adapting work to staff with health problems was a huge issue that required employers to change, but suggested extra duties on businesses were not the answer.
—Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Before the Trump administration pulled it offline, the federal National Climate Assessment showed greenhouse gases causing both an accelerating pace of multibillion-dollar disasters and a more insidious onslaught of sickness caused by heat, smoke and migrating pathogens.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickness
Cite this Entry
“Sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sickness. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
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sickness
noun
sick·ness
ˈsik-nəs 
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