plural allergies
: a medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching, or breathing something that is harmless to most people
Many people have some form of allergy.
food allergies
—often + toI have an allergy to strawberries. I get a rash if I eat just one.
—sometimes used figuratively in informal contextsMy brother has an allergy to hard work. [=my brother does not like hard work; my brother is lazy]
Cite this Entry
“Allergy.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/allergy. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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