1
as in illness
the condition of not being in good health
she was plagued by sickness most of her adult life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant or animal's normal bodily functioning
a sickness that resulted in the death of millions of the nation's elm trees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nausea
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 & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sickness
Ours is an age which consciously pursues health, and yet only believes in the reality of sickness.
—
Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
While the virus can cause human sickness, risk remains low, according to officials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
The goal is finding a new way to treat addictions, which are a leading cause of sickness and death around the world.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
There had been speculation that MacKinnon was playing through either injury or sickness or both during the tournament.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sickness
Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
While the virus can cause human sickness, risk remains low, according to officials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
The goal is finding a new way to treat addictions, which are a leading cause of sickness and death around the world.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
There had been speculation that MacKinnon was playing through either injury or sickness or both during the tournament.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sickness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickness
Noun
-
Art Dlugach, a longtime sports producer for KPIX in San Francisco, died Thursday morning in Texas, surrounded by his family after a brief illness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But Trump does not oppose giving voters accommodations to vote by mail for illness, disability, military or travel.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Burning coal produces fine particles that lodge deep in the lungs and bloodstream, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease, according to the World Health Organization.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Houry points to recent public health threats caused by vaccine preventable diseases, on which Kennedy has not given the typical response of promoting vaccines.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The condition interferes with digestion and triggers bouts of nausea and vomiting that require frequent hospital visits.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Played in full, Silent Way induces a pervasive nausea, reveling in gawky soundscapes that seem barely able to contain their outsized, clashing ideas.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And their best is Ragans, the opening day ace who was limited to just 13 starts while battling a groin injury and then a rotator cuff ailment in 2025.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
-
These bacteria are known to cause a host of ailments, including listeriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, Guillain-Barré syndrome, miscarriage, brucellosis, chronic inflammatory conditions, reactive arthritis and death.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The first New Mexico trial on the ills and dangers of social media platforms began in February after a nearly three-year probe by the state.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
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And Pearl, while making his team’s case Thursday, unwittingly did a fine job of spelling out the ills of expansion as well.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Worrisome symptoms that warrant a call to a doctor include dizziness, ongoing diarrhea with a fever over 102 degrees and an inability to keep liquids down without vomiting.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
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Symptoms to look out for include a bluish discoloration of the skin, abnormally rapid breathing, and fever.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickness. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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