radiation sickness

noun

: sickness that results from exposure to radiation and is commonly marked by fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of teeth and hair, and in more severe cases by damage to blood-forming tissue with decrease in red and white blood cells and with bleeding

Examples of radiation sickness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Exposure to Cs-137 alone can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, cancer, and death. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025

Some endured a lifetime of radiation sickness: nausea, hair loss, skin burns, bleeding, fatigue and fever. —R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Exposure to Cs-137 alone can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, cancer and death. —Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025

External exposure to large amounts of Cesium-137, according to the EPA, can cause burns, acute radiation sickness and even death. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for radiation sickness

• homesickness
• seasickness
• quickness
• thickness

Medical Definition

radiation sickness

noun

: sickness that results from exposure to radiation and is commonly marked by fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of teeth and hair, and in more severe cases by damage to blood-forming tissue with decrease in red and white blood cells and with bleeding