as in diseases
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
an 18th-century quack who specialized in those mysterious infirmities that are known only to the idle rich
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Recent Examples of infirmities
The young men naturally start out strongly, but exhaustion, physical infirmities and psychological stress eventually take their toll on them one by one.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infirmities
Noun
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If your plants were plagued by pests or diseases during the growing season, leaving diseased plant debris in your garden allows problems to overwinter and reinfect your plants in spring.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
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When making cuts, prune at a 45-degree angle to help water run off and prevent diseases.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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In 2010, two years before his death at 82 from complications of heart and lung ailments, Reisman founded Table Tennis Nation.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition, stool samples from those suffering from the gastrointestinal illnesses were taken for testing.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, vomiting and fever come on suddenly, and may be mistaken for other minor illnesses.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
27 Dec. 2025
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Despite so many errors, The Information is now the paper of record on the ills of Nvidia.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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And among parents, the fear of illnesses like polio, measles and other sicknesses were always present.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
18 Dec. 2025
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Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.—
B. Derrick Taff,
The Conversation,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The high fevers, hospitalizations, and dehydration that these illnesses cause can be painful and disruptive—and, with vaccines, avoidable.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
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For example, pulse oximeters (the small clips placed on a finger to test oxygen) are less accurate on darker skin, and temperature scanners often used in clinics can under-detect fevers in Black patients.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infirmities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infirmities. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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