Thesaurus results for SICKNESSES

sicknesses

noun

plural of sickness

as in illnesses

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

Relevance

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 sicknesses And while children, the elderly and those with certain sicknesses or medications are most susceptible to heat illness – these temperatures affect everyone. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026 At the end of the day, both doctors agree that hotel stays shouldn’t deter people from traveling altogether, since there are always ways to proactively minimize exposure and subsequent sicknesses. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026 Olena started with the children, the most vulnerable refugees as well as the most likely vectors of new sicknesses in the theater. — James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026 The most sicknesses were reported in Michigan. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 The symptoms of our darkest cultural sicknesses become visible. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026 From the moment the kids set foot back at school in the fall, until some time around spring break, parents can expect sicknesses to take over their homes faster than the latest viral slang expression. — Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 Jan. 2026 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 All their triumphs, all their sleepless nights, their loves and hates, their sicknesses, their schemes, their rises to power and their falls from it -- all gone. — Paul Prather, Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sicknesses

Noun

No illnesses have been reported so far, according to the recall notice.

— Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Likewise, the agents that cause illnesses such as COVID-19, influenza, mumps, pertussis, and strep throat can be transmitted as heavy droplets that land on mucous membranes.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of illnesses

Noun

This is particularly true in states like West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, where medication usage (and diseases like obesity and diabetes) are among the highest in the country.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026
As the team has pieced together this tragic penguin mystery, Vanstreels says, the case holds broader lessons for tracking the spread of diseases globally.

— Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of diseases

Noun

Last season, Williams missed 49 regular-season games and much of the postseason after dealing with a right wrist injury that required surgery and nagging hamstring ailments in both legs.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
So, too, was Capra’s, despite some misbegotten movies and his struggles with depression and other ailments.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of ailments

Noun

Hilton has blasted Becerra as taking the state’s voters for granted, failing to hold public campaign events to explain his detailed plans to address California’s many ills.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Now, in The Social Reckoning, Sorkin focuses on the ills of the company Facebook eventually became.

— Eliana Dockterman, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of ills

Noun

The Bundibugyo virus comes from the same family as the Ebola virus that caused the 2014 West Africa and 2018 Congo epidemics, causing the fatal fevers associated with Ebola.

— Ananya Rupanagunta, Vox, 21 Oct. 2026
Listeria’s high fevers can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of fevers

Browse Nearby Words

sickness

sicknesses

sicko

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sicknesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sicknesses. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sicknesses

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

reticent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes