Thesaurus results for DISEASES

diseases

noun

plural of disease

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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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 diseases Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients – including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases – can develop complications that can be fatal. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 July 2026 Specifically, this research could help guide the design of treatments for diseases that cause a lack of oxygen. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 July 2026 Pioneering gene-editing treatments are already in clinical use, saving lives and easing the pain of devastating genetic diseases. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 July 2026 There’s no evidence that the parasite has evolved to become more infectious, said Dianna Blau, the CDC’s acting parasitic diseases branch chief. — Mike Stobbe, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026 And other data, such as that on emergency department visits for respiratory diseases, appears to have been updated again. — John Kubale, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 The moquitoes can transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026 In the 1940s, the widespread use of penicillin allowed for the treatment of diseases that were once fatal. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Research has linked wildfire smoke to a range of long-term health issues, including respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases and cancers. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for diseases

Noun

Those with heart disease and respiratory illnesses, young children and older adults are more at risk.

— Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Researchers know deaths and illnesses rise during heat waves, but the numbers are hard to track, because there aren't uniform requirements.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of illnesses

Noun

Still, as Norstella’s Chancellor notes, what goes up eventually comes down, and newer breakthroughs are likely to be in more niche areas, like myasthenia gravis, rather than mega-blockbusters for common ailments like rheumatoid arthritis.

— Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
The ailments of normally healthy people, who no longer have easy access to their medications, regular meals, or running water.

— Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 8 July 2026

Definition of ailments

Noun

At the end of the day, both doctors agree that hotel stays shouldn’t deter people from traveling altogether, since there are always ways to proactively minimize exposure and subsequent sicknesses.

— Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026
Olena started with the children, the most vulnerable refugees as well as the most likely vectors of new sicknesses in the theater.

— James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026

Definition of sicknesses

Noun

Last month, Kwon’s team, in collaboration with Seongju Kim at Hanbat National University, in Daejeon, South Korea, presented its solution to HBM’s future ills.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 8 July 2026
Hualde says that some Pamplona residents rue his early promotion of the festival due to the ills of overtourism the sleepy provincial city is now experiencing.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026

Definition of ills

Noun

For sure, the old philosophy that all athletes with heart conditions should not play competitive sports is outdated and not correct.

— Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Typically, El Niño is associated with wetter-than-normal conditions during the winter in Southern California.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of conditions

Noun

Ibogaine is a powerful psychoactive compound that has been used for decades to treat substance use disorders.

— Gavin Escott, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Keeping people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders out of the jail and prison system has been a decades-long struggle in the state.

— Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of disorders

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“Diseases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diseases. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of diseases

noun

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