ILLNESS Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

illness

noun

ˈil-nəs

Definition of illness

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

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 But that lack of control still makes cyclosporiasis, like other foodborne illnesses, unsettling and frustrating. — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026 Last year, the CDC scaled back a decades-long federal-state partnership that monitors foodborne illnesses, including those caused by cyclospora. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 11 July 2026 Even the chapter in the book has hindsight knowledge applied, and the show makes sure to emphasize that the way the illness spread wasn’t known when Emily Henderson (Barrett Doss) tells Caleb (Kowen Cadorath). — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 11 July 2026 Anyone showing signs of heat illness should be moved immediately to a cool, shaded location. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for illness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness

Noun

Already large clinical trials are testing if certain drugs could prevent or at least delay the disease — and if any of those pan out, doctors will need an easy way to tell who should try them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 July 2026
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office determined Quinonez Palomares died of cardiovascular disease, with obesity listed as a significant contributing condition.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
The sickness spreads through food or drinking water that is contaminated by human feces.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of sickness

Noun

For the third time in a year, his young career has been temporarily derailed by an injury — this time, a thumb ailment that will sideline him into August.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
The respiratory ailment's name comes from an outbreak that hit attendees of an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026

Definition of ailment

Noun

Last month, Kwon’s team, in collaboration with Seongju Kim at Hanbat National University, in Daejeon, South Korea, presented its solution to HBM’s future ills.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 8 July 2026
Hualde says that some Pamplona residents rue his early promotion of the festival due to the ills of overtourism the sleepy provincial city is now experiencing.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026

Definition of ill

Noun

Kansas City got just a small taste of the magnetic fever over Lionel Messi, the global superstar who is regarded as one of the best ever to kick a ball.

— PJ Green July 13, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
While most infected people are asymptomatic, some may experience fever, headaches and body aches, and less than 1% develop severe illness that may result in hospitalization or death.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026