symptoms

plural of symptom
as in manifestations
something that indicates the presence of something else (such as a disease or problem) A sore throat, a runny nose, and frequent sneezing are some of the symptoms of the common cold. Homelessness is only a symptom of larger problems in our society.

Related 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 symptoms Ongoing monitoring generates an enormous amount of information, including sleep, activity, heart rate, blood pressure, glucose, symptoms, medications, coaching notes, and changes in behavior. Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 Research suggests women with ADHD enter perimenopause years earlier than those without the disorder and experience more severe symptoms during this menopausal transition. Maria Godoy, NPR, 26 July 2026 Such symptoms can range from mild itching or hives to more serious allergic reactions in rare cases. Daryl Austin, USA Today, 26 July 2026 Clancy’s doctors took her on and off medications to treat the depression, which her attorney has said worsened her symptoms. Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 The solutions being proposed and inane rhetoric from people such as Johnson are just massaging the symptoms rather than dealing with the real problems. Ronald J. Allen, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026 Men also need to be screened for conditions that may worsen with testosterone replacement such as sleep apnea, high risk for prostate cancer, heart failure or heart disease, or urinary symptoms of thrombophilia (high levels of red blood cells). Alexander P. Cole, STAT, 18 July 2026 Officials say that anyone in a sensitive group should watch for symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath and take precautions against prolonged exposure. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026 In the summer, antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Claritin and Benadryl, along with other allergy medicines, can help relieve symptoms, like sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses. Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for symptoms
Noun
  • In Salento, each town nestled into a shallow valley or slim rise has its own dialectal name for the almond in its varied manifestations—as tree, as fruit, as orchard.
    Angelica Calabrese, Longreads, 7 July 2026
  • The persistence of these misconceptions matters because clinicians and the public alike may expect Ebola to look dramatic from the outset, when in reality its early manifestations often resemble many other common infectious diseases.
    Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • Most dramatically, five of the bodies were hung on a highway bridge, their half-nude corpses displaying signs of torture — a macabre display that recalled the worst days of the Mexican drug wars.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • Institutions and governments must invest long before crises unfold and continue funding past initial signs of success to ensure complete and lasting transformation.
    Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Noun
  • The other examines how climate change altered the characteristics of the event that happened; for example, whether a hurricane produced more rainfall or a heat wave became hotter because the atmosphere has warmed.
    Deepti Singh, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
  • Nicknamed Planet Nine and sometimes more generically called Planet X, its existence is hotly debated, but most predictions of this putative world’s characteristics put it squarely in the range of LSST’s capabilities to spot.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Symptoms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/symptoms. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on symptoms

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster