1
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
suffered from a mysterious illness that left her weak and tired all the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sickness
the condition of not being in good health
prone to illness as a child, he was sent to a western ranch with the expectation that it would toughen him up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illness
An additional 14 adolescent or adult Central males disappeared during that time, and their bodies were never recovered—these males hadn’t shown signs of illness, so at least some of them also may have been victims of Western chimpanzee aggression.
—
Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Most people recover from the illness in a few days with proper treatment.
—Don Sweeney
april 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Martin's family medical history with the illness included her grandmother dying from breast cancer, and her mother undergoing a double mastectomy.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Porzingis was ruled out with an illness after missing Tuesday’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Jason P. Dinh, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Most people recover from the illness in a few days with proper treatment.
—Don Sweeney
april 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Additionally, Martin's family medical history with the illness included her grandmother dying from breast cancer, and her mother undergoing a double mastectomy.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Porzingis was ruled out with an illness after missing Tuesday’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness
Noun
-
Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
For instance, there may be more car crashes, animal bites, property damage and zoonotic disease transmission.—
Daniel T. Blumstein,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Became waiflike, wearing sickness like face paint.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, before the split, five adult males died, possibly of sickness, which might have severed key social connections.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Brown was ruled out with Achilles tendonitis, the same ailment that sidelined him for wins over Atlanta and Charlotte late last month.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Autoimmune diseases—a broad and complex category of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes—have long puzzled researchers.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.—
Sam Yellowhorse Kesler,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Even as professional coders are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about the power of AI coding tools, many end users still see them as a boogeyman to instantly blame for any and all observed ills in the tech industry.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Kumar developed a fever, and the driver booted him off.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Old Herald clippings from 1986 reported about homeowners toilets and sinks smelling like gas, a 3-year-old getting rashes and fevers from drinking the well water and fear of driers exploding.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illness. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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