variants
also disfunction
as in disease
impaired or abnormal functioning (as of a body part)
She's suffered from minor brain dysfunction since the accident.
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Recent Examples of dysfunction
Sustained inflammation can lead to injury and dysfunction of the coronary arteries.
—
Valerie Cacho, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2026
While helpful, these tools frequently underestimate risk — particularly in people with metabolic disease or early kidney dysfunction.
—Jia Shen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
On an album thoroughly steeped in neuroticism and personal dysfunction, that acceptance feels like freedom.
—Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
The lack of organization for the February meeting is the latest sign of what critics see as broader dysfunction at the agency.
—Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Valerie Cacho, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2026
While helpful, these tools frequently underestimate risk — particularly in people with metabolic disease or early kidney dysfunction.
—Jia Shen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
On an album thoroughly steeped in neuroticism and personal dysfunction, that acceptance feels like freedom.
—Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
The lack of organization for the February meeting is the latest sign of what critics see as broader dysfunction at the agency.
—Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dysfunction
Noun
-
Detainees have described a camp where an average of about 3,000 people per day live in loud and unsanitary quarters, diseases spread easily and sleep is a luxury.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
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That same month, Stewart, who had dedicated his career to ticks and Lyme disease as a federal scientist, retired early.—
Rachana Pradhan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In attendance at the ceremony was John Davidson, a Scottish activist well known across the United Kingdom for his efforts to destigmatize Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder that can manifest in involuntary verbal tics.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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Modern mental health, built to diagnose disorder and stabilize dysfunction, was never designed to answer these questions.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dysfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dysfunction. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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