sickness

noun

ˈsik-nəs How to pronounce sickness (audio)
Definition of sicknessnext
1
as in illness
the condition of not being in good health she was plagued by sickness most of her adult life

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant or animal's normal bodily functioning a sickness that resulted in the death of millions of the nation's elm trees

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nausea
a disturbed condition of the stomach in which one feels like vomiting the sickness that many women feel during the early months of a pregnancy

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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 sickness Some people, however, might go to urgent care or a specialist to diagnose their sickness or condition. — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 This aligns with the sickness of our culture - lack of gratitude. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for sickness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickness
  1. illness
  2. disease
  3. nausea
  4. ailment
  5. ill
  6. fever
Noun
  • Large companies can spread that risk across many people; at a small business, one serious illness or accident can quickly raise costs.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Shigellosis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of illness
Noun
  • The man fell into a coma and succumbed to the disease on October 9, 2026, after life support was withdrawn.
    — Sahas Mehra, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Amid the onset of Parkinson’s disease, Lincoln retired from the museum in 2014.
    — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of disease
Noun
  • Coffee, ginger tea, peppermint tea, and prune juice may help with bowel movements, bloating, or nausea, depending on your digestive needs.
    — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Residents have reported symptoms including burning in the eyes, lungs and sinuses, bad headaches and nausea.
    — Lana Zak, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of nausea
Noun
  • Last season, Williams missed 49 regular-season games and much of the postseason after dealing with a right wrist injury that required surgery and nagging hamstring ailments in both legs.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • So, too, was Capra’s, despite some misbegotten movies and his struggles with depression and other ailments.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 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 the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Another, published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, involved a man who developed fever and severe diarrhea after eating undercooked pigeon meat.
    — Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fever

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sickly
sickness
sicknesses
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Cite this Entry

“Sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickness. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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