Thesaurus results for DISEASES

diseases

noun

plural of disease

as in illnesses

an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning they caught a rare disease while they were traveling in Africa and were sick for weeks

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 diseases If the model works, Hund says Rare Ventures will expand to include more diseases and potentially fund more treatments. — Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 This is far from the first time that Kennedy and his allies have attempted to downplay and spread misinformation about deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 They can be used to treat certain diseases, such as epilepsy, and may have some benefits in other psychiatric conditions such as depression and schizophrenia. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 According to a recent investigation by Australian researchers, drugs to slow the loss of neurological function in young patients may have already been approved to treat other diseases. — Mike McRae 26, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026 Two centuries later, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch helped establish germ theory, which holds that many diseases are caused by infectious agents that multiply in the body. — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 Hence, this mechanism represents a critical avenue by which new human diseases arise. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026 Wet leaves encourage diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Aug. 2026 West Nile virus is the most common of the diseases transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for diseases

Noun

The question of defining a measles death hasn't come up much in recent decades because vaccination rates were high and measles illnesses and deaths had become rare.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Thousands of people were sickened by foodborne illnesses this summer.

— Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of illnesses

Noun

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

Definition of sicknesses

Noun

Alex Pantling/Getty Images What is clear is that no one thinks the changes enacted in either the Championship or League One are a resolution to the EFL’s marked financial ills.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Blaming billionaire wealth-hoarding for America’s ills would poll very well among the nation’s anthropology departments.

— Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026

Definition of ills

Noun

Victoria’s contemporary rig, winches, and autopilot functionality allow for single-handed sailing in conditions that would keep its predecessor at the dock.

— Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026
While Karina was expected to stay well away from land, swells from the storm were likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions along parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, the hurricane center said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of conditions

Noun

How can parents prevent their children from bringing home sniffles, coughs and fevers?

— Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2026
Around the same time, hospitals in Ituri province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, began to fill up with patients suffering from fevers, diarrhea, and vomiting.

— Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of fevers

Browse Nearby Words

diseased

diseases

diseconomy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Diseases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diseases. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of diseases

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes