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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 illness
If anything, the nation’s top health officials have encouraged people to embrace the tolls of infectious illness.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
The bulletin also says these are often chosen for their accessibility and their ability to mimic natural illness, complicating detection and investigation.
—Emma Bussey , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Boston traded Porzingis to Atlanta during the same offseason roster overhaul, but injuries and illness limited him to 17 games for the Hawks.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The Hawks were without N’Faly Dante (right knee torn ACL), RayJ Dennis (G League), Nikola Djurisic (G League), Caleb Houstan (G League), Onyeka Okongwu (dental fracture), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Duop Reath (right foot stress fracture) against the Heat.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
The bulletin also says these are often chosen for their accessibility and their ability to mimic natural illness, complicating detection and investigation.
—Emma Bussey , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Boston traded Porzingis to Atlanta during the same offseason roster overhaul, but injuries and illness limited him to 17 games for the Hawks.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The Hawks were without N’Faly Dante (right knee torn ACL), RayJ Dennis (G League), Nikola Djurisic (G League), Caleb Houstan (G League), Onyeka Okongwu (dental fracture), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Duop Reath (right foot stress fracture) against the Heat.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
And her love sickness rendered physical is such a beautiful and powerful literary symbol.—
Hannah Benson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
His office has continually pointed to the senator’s leg stiffness as a result of his childhood polio sickness.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
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
-
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
-
For those gray, dreary Berlin February days, the Berlinale this year is offering a colorful fever dream of a cinematic antidote courtesy of Pakistan.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Listeria most frequently causes short-term symptoms in healthy individuals, like fever, nausea, and abdominal pain, but is particularly dangerous to pregnant women.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illness. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
