as in illnesses
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
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Recent Examples of diseases
Fox News' Health newsletter brings you stories on the latest developments in healthcare, wellness, diseases, mental health and more.
—
Staff, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Will eradicated diseases make a comeback if vaccination rates decline?
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
There, all animals undergo full medical evaluations, including testing for diseases, worms, and parasites.
—Meg Dunn, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Too far south is too warm, with too many diseases.
—Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 5 Sep. 2025
Vaccines are given early in life because that is the time when people are especially susceptible to diseases.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025
On the flip side, cutting back or eliminating soda could help keep these effects at bay, ultimately reducing the risk of metabolic diseases.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 4 Sep. 2025
Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes can spread dangerous diseases.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
The return on investment is beyond compare in diseases prevented, economic opportunities created, communities strengthened, and lives saved.
—Kelly Parsons, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Staff, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Will eradicated diseases make a comeback if vaccination rates decline?
—Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
There, all animals undergo full medical evaluations, including testing for diseases, worms, and parasites.
—Meg Dunn, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Too far south is too warm, with too many diseases.
—Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 5 Sep. 2025
Vaccines are given early in life because that is the time when people are especially susceptible to diseases.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025
On the flip side, cutting back or eliminating soda could help keep these effects at bay, ultimately reducing the risk of metabolic diseases.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 4 Sep. 2025
Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes can spread dangerous diseases.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
The return on investment is beyond compare in diseases prevented, economic opportunities created, communities strengthened, and lives saved.
—Kelly Parsons, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diseases
Noun
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These rules, enforced by the state Department of Health, are designed to prevent outbreaks of contagious illnesses that once posed widespread threats.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Public records and lawsuits show that many in-custody deaths involved serious health care lapses — medication being withheld, delayed care and failure to monitor people with serious illnesses.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And, in the course of the novel, the characters do, in fact, die, one after another, but mostly from the ailments of old age.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
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The partnership tried to play through the ailments, but the results weren’t materializing for most of the year.—
The Athletic Tennis Staff,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.—
B. Derrick Taff,
The Conversation,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In their assessments, desegregation and the passage of time have cured all of America’s racial ills.—
Time,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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Macbeth, also an unstable Scottish king, blames the witches for the ills caused by his own murderous decisions.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These plants are adapted to the specific soils, climate and other local conditions of their region and support the local food web, providing habitat for native wildlife, pollinators and insects.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Sep. 2025
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These conditions make travel difficult.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since then, a handful of experts, including the dean of Harvard’s school of public health, have published papers suggesting an association between prenatal use of acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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Using acetaminophen during pregnancy has been believed to cause neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, in kids.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Measles also causes fevers and red, watery eyes and can lead to complications such as pneumonia or, in rare cases, brain damage and death.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC News,
4 Mar. 2025
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They are associated with fevers, chills, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, pregnancy, or a postpartum or immunocompromising condition.—
Cathy Nelson,
Verywell Health,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diseases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diseases. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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