sickness

noun

sick·​ness ˈsik-nəs 

1

a

: ill health : illness

b

: a disordered, weakened, or unsound condition

2

: a specific disease

3

: nausea, queasiness

Synonyms of sickness

• illness

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

Despite undergoing a blood transfusion, which briefly provided a glimpse of hope, Jackie continued to suffer setbacks in her recovery due to the sickness, which remained a mystery until Wednesday's announcement by California wildlife officials. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

The Dallas Cowboys are currently passing around a sickness in the facility, as four players have had a practice or game status affected by an illness over the last week. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026

Even the pancreas of a character’s unseen wife, the sickness in which AIG promises to double back and cure if only everyone keeps hurtling forward. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

From sickness and ennui came the writing of an algorithm that would solve the underlying mathematics of the bomb. — Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sickness

• acute mountain sickness
• African sleeping sickness
• altitude sickness
• decompression sickness
• milk sickness
• morning sickness
• motion sickness
• mountain sickness
• radiation sickness
• serum sickness
• sickness benefit
• sleeping sickness
• travel sickness

Rhymes for sickness

• quickness
• thickness
• homesickness
• seasickness

Kids Definition

sickness

noun

sick·​ness ˈsik-nəs 

1

: ill health : illness

2

: a specific disease : malady

3

: nausea sense 1

Medical Definition

sickness

noun

sick·​ness ˈsik-nəs 

1

: the condition of being ill : ill health

2

: a specific disease

3

: nausea