diseased

adjective

dis·​eased di-ˈzēzd How to pronounce diseased (audio)
: affected with or as if with a disease : lacking health or soundness : sickly
During a transplant, the surgeon removes the diseased lung (sometimes both) and transplants a lung or lungs from a donor.Elaine K. Howley
Pruning is critical to blueberry productivity. An annual pruning regimen is needed to remove old and diseased canes, encourage strong new canes and increase the harvest.Sequim (Washington) Gazette
He said he occasionally has had to put an animal down if it is diseased or severely injured, but often works with animal rehabilitators to rescue others when possible.Sarah Bowman
Sirois believes that the confession from Hernandez, who has since pleaded not guilty, was the product of a diseased mind. Defense lawyers claim he's mentally ill, hears voices, and has rock-bottom intelligence.Andrea Peyser

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The healthy female organelles help form IVF embryos without the diseased mitochondria. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 13 May 2023 Drugs like amoxicillin, when applied as a paste, are successful at slowing and stopping the spread of lesions on diseased coral. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023 Banking diseased tissue can also help define disease origin in scenarios of relapse and predict treatment responses before suggesting a treatment regimen. Salvatore Viscomi, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023 The mini antibodies are also helping physicians detect cancers more readily, pinpointing diseased cells with more precision. Christina Szalinski, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023 Doctors aren’t just suffering from burnout; they’re demoralized by America’s diseased health care system, Eric Reinhart argues. Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2023 When pruning a diseased plant, be extra careful to sanitize your tools between plants so no pathogens are spread. oregonlive, 7 May 2023 The need for a fourth vaccine dose before the winter is out could be debated by diseased experts, however, as data still shows current vaccine timelines are largely effective against serious illness. Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 19 Feb. 2022 Instead, Wells had gained renown for performing nearly 1,000 ovariotomies—a surgery to remove diseased ovaries. Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diseased.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diseased was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near diseased

Cite this Entry

“Diseased.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diseased. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

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