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

• 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

The metal is even occasionally released by a body’s own bone stores during times of sickness or stress. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025

Her infirmity, Lurie says, began in July, 1953, but tremors of premonition course through her work from first to last, as though sickness were naturally expected to arrive, like a punctual guest. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

And virtually all women east of the Appalachians experienced the violence, sickness, and scarcity of a civil war in which front lines and home fronts were never far apart. —Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

This results in overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions which, if left unchecked, can have serious health implications for the pets involved and, in some cases, results in not only sickness but also death. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

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