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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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 dysfunction
The intense coddling and dysfunction within the family come to a head at the end of the show opener when a drunken Paul crashes a boat, killing his best friend’s girlfriend, Mallory (Madeline Popovich), and injuring all on board.
—
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Treating neurological disorders is challenging because many conditions arise from very specific areas of dysfunction.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
In her interview with Semafor, the governor criticized the dysfunction that led to the shutdown and the lack of a plan to revive expiring health care tax credits.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent searches for a new police chief have taken over a year to complete, often exposing dysfunctions in the city’s branches of leadership.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Treating neurological disorders is challenging because many conditions arise from very specific areas of dysfunction.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
In her interview with Semafor, the governor criticized the dysfunction that led to the shutdown and the lack of a plan to revive expiring health care tax credits.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent searches for a new police chief have taken over a year to complete, often exposing dysfunctions in the city’s branches of leadership.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dysfunction
Noun
-
Indoor cats live for 15 to 17 years on average, while outdoor felines live only for 2 to 5 years due to dangers such as extreme temperatures, wildlife, and disease.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, foods like fatty fish, olive oil, berries, and leafy greens have strong evidence supporting their strong anti-inflammatory effects and their ability to protect against chronic inflammatory diseases.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Senior Democrats are treating Saturday’s demonstrations as a show of strength and are urging participants to be peaceful amid fears disorder could be used to justify an administration crackdown.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Jake and Claire Juip − who use motorized wheelchairs − have a rare neurodegenerative disorder called Friedreich's ataxia.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dysfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dysfunction. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share