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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of illness
The blueberries may contain Listeria, a pathogen that can cause serious foodborne illness.
—
Jenna Anderson, Health, 26 Feb. 2026
The Capitals played without forward and Canadian Olympian Wilson, who missed the game with an illness.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The cause of the illness remains unknown.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
The Capitals played without forward and Canadian Olympian Tom Wilson, who missed the game with an illness.
—CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Jenna Anderson, Health, 26 Feb. 2026
The Capitals played without forward and Canadian Olympian Wilson, who missed the game with an illness.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The cause of the illness remains unknown.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
The Capitals played without forward and Canadian Olympian Tom Wilson, who missed the game with an illness.
—CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness
Noun
-
Used since the 1950s to make consumer products nonstick, oil- and water-repellent, and resistant to temperature change, PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, fertility issues, high cholesterol, hormone disruption, liver damage, obesity and thyroid disease.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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The risk is higher in some people, such as smokers older than 35 or those who have multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors.—
ALI SWENSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Thankfully, my sickness is over.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Kind of like with any sickness, getting to the root of the problem with a medical professional will do more than downing a multitude of hot beverages.—
Sara Kiley Watson,
Popular Science,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But forward Ty Dellandrea, San Jose’s only other player on IR, is still considered weeks away from a return from a lower-body ailment.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
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But in addition to Romy Gonzalez, whose lingering shoulder ailment from last season will likely keep him from the Opening Day roster, the Red Sox have 2020 Gold Glove winner Brendan Rodgers in camp on a minor league deal, and the switch-hitting utility-man Nick Sogard.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Time spent mired in fever, or in quarantine, or in recovery is not free time.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, body aches, headache and fever.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illness. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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