sick building syndrome
noun
: a set of symptoms (such as headache, fatigue, and eye irritation) typically affecting workers in modern airtight office buildings that is believed to be caused by indoor pollutants (such as formaldehyde fumes or microorganisms) compare multiple chemical sensitivity
Examples of sick building syndrome in a Sentence
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Joan Bennett didn’t believe in sick building syndrome.
—
Julie Rehmeyer, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2014
Indoor air pollution causes a constellation of symptoms: headaches, fatigue, and low productivity, sometimes referred to as sick building syndrome.
—Lisa Wood Shapiro, Wired, 12 Dec. 2019
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Julie Rehmeyer, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2014
Indoor air pollution causes a constellation of symptoms: headaches, fatigue, and low productivity, sometimes referred to as sick building syndrome.
—Lisa Wood Shapiro, Wired, 12 Dec. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Sick building syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick%20building%20syndrome. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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sick building syndrome
noun
sick build·ing syndrome
-ˈbil-diŋ- 
: a set of symptoms (as headache, fatigue, eye irritation, and breathing difficulties) that typically affect workers in modern airtight office buildings, that are believed to be caused by indoor pollutants (as formaldehyde fumes, particulate matter, or microorganisms), and that tend to disappear when affected individuals leave the building
—abbreviation SBS
compare building-related illness
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