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
Per the release, Salmonella is a type of bacteria that causes foodborne illness through raw or undercooked foods like poultry, eggs, meat and unpasteurized products.
—
Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Henry was drafted and ended up in the Vietnam War, where environmental issues might have led to the illness, lymphocytic leukemia, that took his life in 1991.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
More than 20 people got sick in an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on an Oceania Cruises ship.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
But there are still too many problems at the Mental Health Transitional Living Home, said Leighty, who declined an interview Tuesday because of an illness.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Henry was drafted and ended up in the Vietnam War, where environmental issues might have led to the illness, lymphocytic leukemia, that took his life in 1991.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
More than 20 people got sick in an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on an Oceania Cruises ship.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
But there are still too many problems at the Mental Health Transitional Living Home, said Leighty, who declined an interview Tuesday because of an illness.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness
Noun
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Researchers still do not fully understand why some women with endometriosis struggle to conceive while others do not, and treating the disease does not reliably restore fertility.—
Dr. Céline Gounder,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Reddy told Fox News Digital that salmonella bacteria can only be killed by cooking a raw egg — and the disease's symptoms include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Manager Craig Stammen said Pivetta was affected by both elbow stiffness and sickness, and that the pitcher’s feedback Monday will determine if an MRI exam is needed.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, choking, especially on food, coins, and toys, is a top cause of sickness and death in children, particularly in kids 3 and younger.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.—
Sam Yellowhorse Kesler,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
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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
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McBain mentioned that Linker did not play Tuesday and sat out the first set due to a fever against San Clemente before playing the next three sets to help the Patriots get the win.—
David Delgado,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
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In addition to fevers and continuous, watery diarrhea, rotavirus symptoms in babies and children can also include loss of appetite and dehydration, per the NFID.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illness. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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