as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
contracted some tropical distemper while he was doing research in the jungles of Borneo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to alarm
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
despite his career success, he has been distempered by nagging feelings of inadequacy his whole life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of distemper
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
The bear tested negative for rabies and distemper.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2025
The skunk with distemper is stuck in the window well again, chewing incessantly on the garden hose that is coiled up in there.
—Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Raccoons can spread diseases like rabies, distemper, parvovirus Raccoons can transmit rabies, canine distemper and parvovirus to domestic animals and humans.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distemper
Noun
Samples collected from the bear were sent to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Arkansas Department of Health to test for distemper and rabies.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
The bear tested negative for rabies and distemper.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2025
The skunk with distemper is stuck in the window well again, chewing incessantly on the garden hose that is coiled up in there.
—Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Raccoons can spread diseases like rabies, distemper, parvovirus Raccoons can transmit rabies, canine distemper and parvovirus to domestic animals and humans.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distemper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distemper
Noun
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After whooping cough vaccinations declined in Dallas County over the last year, the preventable disease spiked to the highest numbers of infections officials have seen in over a decade, Huang said.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Harm reduction can encompass a range of practices, including handing out free needles to slow the spread of disease, and many local leaders credit some of those efforts with recent drops in fatal overdoses.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that's not really what alarms me, someone making money off of military advancements.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Officials across the country received the invitation, which has alarmed some of its recipients, according to numerous media outlets.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Weekly activity levels are based on the rate of doctor’s visits for flu-like illness.—
Koko Nakajima,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The Prebys Foundation gave a $125,000 grant to San Diego nonprofit Resounding Joy to provide music therapy to homebound older adults fighting critical illnesses who are receiving meals from local nonprofit Mama’s Kitchen.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mist the soil instead of overhead watering, which can disturb the seeds.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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Managing the genetic health of such a small population is essential for the species’ long-term viability, and the hair-collection method offers a noninvasive way to gather vital data without disturbing the wombats in their burrows.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Peterson has missed 11 of KU’s 24 games because of hamstring tightness, cramping, a quad ailment and illness issues.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
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The building had many ailments, and the landlord seemed intent on doing as little as possible about them.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Voters are also distressed by the decline in their quality of life, as well as the country’s muddled political landscape – a fact indicated by the twenty candidates for president alone.—
Djenane Villanueva,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Ecru denim also made an appearance, baggy and distressed for a grittier winter look.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The conductor added that opera not only reveals societal ills but can model what an ideal society can look like.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Andrew Musgrave crossed the finish line in cross-country skiing today in a tank top, and the cold didn’t seem to bother him one bit.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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My damp clothes didn’t bother either one of us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distemper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distemper. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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