disease

noun

di-ˈzēz How to pronounce disease (audio)
Definition of diseasenext
as in illness
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning they caught a rare disease while they were traveling in Africa and were sick for weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disease Morales, who has spoken publicly about her family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of awareness about it, joins a lineup of experts, advocates and innovators for the one-day event. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Walker says another goal is getting confiscated turtles back to the wild, but as Kung notes, smugglers commingle different turtles, spreading diseases that must be kept out of wild populations. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 When they were killed by disease or forced off their lands, their absence was felt. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The Vision Council also found 63% of adults have never heard of digital eye strain or know only its name, and half say the same of dry eye disease. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disease
  1. illness
  2. ailment
  3. ill
  4. disorder
  5. fever
  6. condition
  7. sickness
Noun
  • To be sure, practicing a zest for life can be harder for those who have physical illness and pain and those who engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The Heat also didn’t have Pelle Larsson (illness) and Dru Smith (right calf strain) on Friday.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of illness
Noun
  • But by the first week of September, the Dodgers could no longer argue that his poor performance wasn’t necessarily connected to his ailments.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • ChatGPT is not your doctor, although most people are already using it to find out more information about their ailments, hypothetical or otherwise.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ailment
Noun
  • Hilton has blasted Becerra as taking the state’s voters for granted, failing to hold public campaign events to explain his detailed plans to address California’s many ills.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Now, in The Social Reckoning, Sorkin focuses on the ills of the company Facebook eventually became.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ill
Noun
  • Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes vision loss, hearing loss and balance issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Blair revealed in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder that attacks healthy cells in the central nervous system, according to the National Institutes of Health.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of disorder
Noun
  • When López was nine, her father came down with a severe fever.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • An April report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked nearly 17,000 Shigella samples, which causes Shigellosis, which and can bring on diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, collected between 2011 and 2023.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of fever
Noun
  • The Singapore Shipping Association also played down the prospect of a broad withdrawal of commercial shipping from the region, suggesting operators would instead adapt to changing trade conditions.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The team also evaluated methods for attaching sensors to storage casks, with the aim of developing installations capable of remaining in place for years under high-temperature and high-radiation conditions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • The Dallas Cowboys are currently passing around a sickness in the facility, as four players have had a practice or game status affected by an illness over the last week.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Even the pancreas of a character’s unseen wife, the sickness in which AIG promises to double back and cure if only everyone keeps hurtling forward.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sickness

Phrases Containing disease

Browse Nearby Words

disdains
disease
diseased
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Cite this Entry

“Disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disease. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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