1
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
2
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illness
The Heat was missing Bam Adebayo (left knee contusion), Andrew Wiggins (stomach illness), Josh Christopher (G League), Keshad Johnson (G League), Kevin Love (personal reasons), Terry Rozier (stomach illness), Dru Smith (left Achilles surgery) and Isaiah Stevens (G League) against the Mavericks.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
At least 24 million illnesses and 310,000 hospitalizations have been recorded.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
As of Monday, there have been no illnesses linked to the recall reported to the FDA.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
These findings give new urgency to the principle that the best way to avoid the manifestations of long COVID is to avoid becoming infected — or, at least, to avoid serious illness.
—Henry I Miller, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for illness 
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
At least 24 million illnesses and 310,000 hospitalizations have been recorded.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
As of Monday, there have been no illnesses linked to the recall reported to the FDA.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
These findings give new urgency to the principle that the best way to avoid the manifestations of long COVID is to avoid becoming infected — or, at least, to avoid serious illness.
—Henry I Miller, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for illness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness
Noun
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How long that takes depends on the course of the disease and farmer operations.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2025
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Leukemia, a disease of the blood and bone marrow, disrupts the body's ability to produce normal blood cells.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Officials have placed the facility under quarantine, but the cattle have not shown signs of sickness.—
Liam Hibbert | The Center Square Contributor,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
16 Feb. 2025
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Botulism is a rare, but dangerous sickness that causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis and even death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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More news: Browns' Myles Garrett Speaks Out Following Shocking Trade Request Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens were both listed as full participants, which is huge news considering both were dealing with ailments leading into the NFC Championship game.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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Details of the characters’ psychologies — Belle’s impulse to fake an ailment whenever she’s threatened, or Milla’s doubling down on pseudoscience to protect herself from facing mortality — are introduced, underlined, and then hammered over repeatedly.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The superrich have always wielded inordinate economic and social power and, as such, have plenty of historical ills to answer for.—
Brian Klaas,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
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The latest example is Tony Scholes, the Premier League’s chief football officer, who commented at a media event this week that officials may crack down on one of the modern game’s great ills: goal celebrations.—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The film’s ghostly images are at once flattened and alive, hovering in visual purgatory as scenes begin to feel not only like fever dreams, but out-of-body observations of the dreamers themselves.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
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Measles is a highly contagious airborne illness that can cause rash, fever, red eyes and cough.—
Neha Mukherjee,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near illness
Cite this Entry
“Illness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illness. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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