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

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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

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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 Foodborne outbreaks have been traced to nearly every aisle of the grocery store, and no one precaution can guarantee a 100% success rate in avoiding illness. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 Common measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and rash three to five days after other signs of illness. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026 Although infections are rare, Vibrio vulnificus can cause an illness called vibriosis, often marked by vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, as well as potentially severe skin infections. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Putin will eventually leave office, whether by death, illness, or—against all observable inclinations—stepping aside. — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness

Noun

The study’s findings also highlight the need for physicians to be alert to early signs of disease and consider blood pressure treatment, even in younger people, according to Freeman.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Etzel noted that the order makes several significant changes, which include reducing the number of diseases targeted by childhood vaccines and separating the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine into individual shots.

— Adisa Hargett-Robinson, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Medics treat heat stroke and other ailments from trailers while an announcer calls out an endless stream of names of people separated from their families.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
During his time in the minors, Mayer dealt with hip, back, shoulder and wrist ailments.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of ailment

Noun

Blaming billionaire wealth-hoarding for America’s ills would poll very well among the nation’s anthropology departments.

— Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
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

Definition of ill

Noun

The public comments came shortly after Fauci had privately raised the theoretical possibility that fever and cytokine-related reactions after a second vaccine dose could be associated with first-trimester miscarriage.

— Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Most infected individuals experience mild to no symptoms, but about 20% experience fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, and nausea.

— Jessie Baltaxe, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026