Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

sickness

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of sickness

1 the condition of not being in good health

  • she was plagued by sickness most of her adult life
Synonyms of sickness

illness, indisposition, unhealthiness, unsoundness
Words Related to sickness

malaise, sickishness

affliction, ailment, condition, disease, disorder, dysfunction (also disfunction), malady, trouble, upset

debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, infirmity, invalidism, invalidity, lameness, sickliness, weakliness, weakness

hypochondria
Near Antonyms of sickness

comeback, convalescence, healing, mending, rally, recovery, recuperation, rehab, rehabilitation, snapback

fettle, fitness, shape

hardiness, heartiness, lustiness, robustness, ruggedness, stamina, strength, toughness, vigor, vigorousness, vitality

bloom, flush, flushness

weal, welfare, well-being
Antonyms of sickness

health, healthiness, soundness, wellness, wholeness, wholesomeness

2 an abnormal state that disrupts a plant or animal's normal bodily functioning

  • a sickness that resulted in the death of millions of the nationʼs elm trees
Synonyms of sickness

affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disease, disorder, distemper, distemperature, fever, ill, illness, infirmity, malady, trouble
Words Related to sickness

contagion, contagious disease

contagium, infection

attack, bout, fit, spell

debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, lameness, sickliness, unhealthiness, unsoundness, unwellness, weakness

malaise, matter, pip

epidemic, pest, pestilence, plague
Near Antonyms of sickness

fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, soundness, wholeness, wholesomeness

fettle, shape
Antonyms of sickness

health, wellness

3 a disturbed condition of the stomach in which one feels like vomiting

  • the sickness that many women feel during the early months of a pregnancy
Synonyms of sickness

nausea, nauseousness, qualmishness, queasiness, queerness, squeamishness
Words Related to sickness

qualm

airsickness, altitude sickness, car sickness, morning sickness, motion sickness, mountain sickness, seasickness

Learn More about sickness

  1. See words that rhyme with sickness Dictionary: Definition of sickness Medical Dictionary: Definition of sickness Spanish Central: Translation of sickness Nglish: Translation of sickness for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sickness for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sickness? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

memento

something that serves to warn or remind

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. gaslight It is a word, though.

  2. invasion CNN reporter questions President.

  3. relevancy Ariana Grande slams ex-fiancé.

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games