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

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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 The actress, who starred in Coach and The Donna Reed Show among other TV series and films, died Saturday after a brief illness. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 Vaccination can help reduce the risk of severe illness, including hospitalization and death. — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Despite his illness, Mansour remained active well into his later years. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026 The deeply emotional song addresses coming out of a long dark period, whether from depression or illness or other circumstances. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illness

Noun

But rates of cardiac disease have fallen in recent years, as the medical community pivots to managing cholesterol levels, hypertension and diabetes—all risk factors for heart disease.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
The administration said 80% of insurers pledged changes to preauthorization requirements for 80% of diseases and injuries by January 2026.

— Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Looking up patients on Facebook or Instagram, seeing what their lives were like before sickness and death, can create emotional attachments that make a difficult job even harder.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Difficult interactions with the government intensify the sickness of sickness and the trauma of trauma.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sickness

Noun

Hospitals and medical practitioners could treat many ailments and save lives, but medications like insulin for diabetes and antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia didn’t exist.

— Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
On the other side of it, Zeek Biggers, who hasn’t played in either preseason game, has been dealing with a minor nagging ailment in recent weeks but is back now.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ailment

Noun

All the police will find is a crowd sitting in silent vigil and a bottle of olive oil for anointing the ill.

— Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
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