plural symptoms
1
: a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present
cold/flu symptoms
—often + ofsymptoms of heart disease
a symptom of depression
2
: a change which shows that something bad exists : a sign of something bad
—often + of
Layoffs and salary freezes are symptoms of a company in financial trouble.
Cite this Entry
“Symptom.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/symptom. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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