1
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
suffered from a mysterious illness that left her weak and tired all the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sickness
the condition of not being in good health
prone to illness as a child, he was sent to a western ranch with the expectation that it would toughen him up
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illness
The number of beloved pets who die of age or illness is unknown but might be less than the eleven thousand dogs and cats euthanized in shelters weekly.
—
Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Isaac Jones will be available after missing Wednesday’s game due to illness.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Bradescu did not attend due to an illness, according to Brian Almon, her communications director.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025
Researchers should prioritize drugs that are taken to treat serious chronic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, deadly infections such as HIV, and high fevers.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illness
Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Isaac Jones will be available after missing Wednesday’s game due to illness.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Bradescu did not attend due to an illness, according to Brian Almon, her communications director.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2025
Researchers should prioritize drugs that are taken to treat serious chronic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, deadly infections such as HIV, and high fevers.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness
Noun
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The result is a hybrid system capable of autonomously targeting and treating disease sites with minimal disruption.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
-
As Hoffine noted, hunger often kills not just through starvation, but by weakening immune systems to the point where people can't fight off disease.—
Nurith Aizenman,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Do not bring them to a clinic without calling first, to avoid exposing other animals to the sickness.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, to prevent sickness, Price recommends that people always assume that raw meat and poultry are contaminated with bacteria and to take precautions in the kitchen.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Christian Braun added 31 points, Aaron Gordon scored 20, and Jamal Murray — playing through a calf ailment — finished with 15 points and seven assists.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Chronic inflammation is a low-level, persistent activation of the immune system that can damage the body over time and is linked to ailments such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The resulting social ills of crime, disease, and despair were blamed not on the systems that produced them, but on the people who bore their weight.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
That solves a lot of problems, a lot of ills of society.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While basic first aid can often ease the pain of a bee sting, according to the Mayo Clinic, those who are stung more than a dozen times can experience a more severe reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and lightheadedness.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Barring a late season storm, Duarte and Palazon expect the prices to hold steady, maybe even drop a little, as the first-month fever and novelty dies down.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illness. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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