ILLNESS Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

illness

noun

ˈil-nəs

Definition of illness

as in disease

an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning suffered from a mysterious illness that left her weak and tired all the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sickness

the condition of not being in good health prone to illness as a child, he was sent to a western ranch with the expectation that it would toughen him up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 illness Shigella bacteria cause shigellosis, an illness characterized by severe diarrhea, that is sometimes bloody or prolonged, and fever. — Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026 In Whalefall, written and directed by Brian Duffield, Jay (Abrams) goes diving in the Pacific Ocean to find the remains of his late father Mitt (Josh Brolin), who took his own life a year before amid a terminal illness. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Lung adenocarcinoma, the type of lung cancer that the pope underwent treatment for, is the most common type of lung cancer and a serious illness. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026 Early vaccination is especially important for individuals at higher risk of serious illness, such as infants and young children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with underlying health conditions. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness

Noun

The first is to dramatically accelerate the pace of basic science, and the second is to accelerate curing disease and extending health span.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
DeVeydt added that costs for inpatient services and pharmacy, particularly costly specialty pharmacy drugs for cancer and rare diseases, remain elevated.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

The Dallas Cowboys are currently passing around a sickness in the facility, as four players have had a practice or game status affected by an illness over the last week.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
Even the pancreas of a character’s unseen wife, the sickness in which AIG promises to double back and cure if only everyone keeps hurtling forward.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of sickness

Noun

But by the first week of September, the Dodgers could no longer argue that his poor performance wasn’t necessarily connected to his ailments.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
ChatGPT is not your doctor, although most people are already using it to find out more information about their ailments, hypothetical or otherwise.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of ailment

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 ill

Noun

When López was nine, her father came down with a severe fever.

— Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
An April report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked nearly 17,000 Shigella samples, which causes Shigellosis, which and can bring on diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, collected between 2011 and 2023.

— Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026