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
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Recent Examples of distemper
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2025
To be considered low-risk and ready for adoption, each animal must have tested negative for distemper at least once, have been in Fort Worth Animal Care for at least 21 days, have received at least two rounds of vaccinations including boosters and have been cleared by shelter staff, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
Infected female dogs can also spread distemper to their puppies via placenta.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 28 Sep. 2024
The support is fine linen, made from fibrous flax rather than fluffy cotton, while the paint is distemper, a fragile form of whitewash mixed with powdered colors.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for distemper
Noun
Any dog showing symptoms of distemper is being isolated and tested, and veterinary staff are monitoring all shelter animals, according to the statement.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2025
To be considered low-risk and ready for adoption, each animal must have tested negative for distemper at least once, have been in Fort Worth Animal Care for at least 21 days, have received at least two rounds of vaccinations including boosters and have been cleared by shelter staff, officials said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
Infected female dogs can also spread distemper to their puppies via placenta.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 28 Sep. 2024
The support is fine linen, made from fibrous flax rather than fluffy cotton, while the paint is distemper, a fragile form of whitewash mixed with powdered colors.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for distemper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distemper
Noun
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Myths, folk tales, and negative media coverage mean people often link these flying mammals to vampires or blame them for disease outbreaks.—
Anna Tunkova,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
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Water plants in the morning so foliage dries quickly to reduce the risk of foliar diseases.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ford put on a blood pressure cuff and was alarmed at the results: 151 over 115, with a heartrate of 171.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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The decision has alarmed some of Trump's current and former allies in the GOP.—
Micah McCartney
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Wide receiver Jalen Coker (illness) stayed at the team hotel instead of attending the joint practice.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Aug. 2025
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Most people infected with West Nile do not feel sick, the CDC says, though about 1 in 5 people develop a fever and other flu-like symptoms and 1 in about 150 people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, as with the presence of any MCU villain, there are threats to mankind and characters in peril throughout the film, which could be distressing for children.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
29 July 2025
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Similarly, while the sound of the waves on a calm day is relaxing for many people, the violence of storms at sea can be distressing.—
Marie-Claire Beaulieu,
The Conversation,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Emergency room doctors see the worst-case scenarios, the weird fluke accidents, the mysterious ailments and miraculous recoveries.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
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His ailment isn’t known. — Edge rusher Mo Kamara, who left Friday’s practice, returned.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He was recently disturbed by a Reddit thread in which a user posted jargon-heavy chatbot messages that seemed eerily familiar.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
10 Aug. 2025
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This experience left him disturbed by how his presence affected others.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Copper Boyz know all too well about the ills that plague the city.—
Dominick Williams
August 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 Aug. 2025
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Despite his humane pose, Gunn has found a way to revive America’s social ills.—
Armond White,
National Review,
18 July 2025
Verb
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The article includes a fancy-looking formula central to the algorithm, but the formula is nearly impossible to decipher since the authors didn’t bother to explain half the symbols in it.—
Noah Giansiracusa,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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If a body is here, whoever buried it didn’t bother digging deep, because there’s no fear of getting caught.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distemper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distemper. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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