disease

American  

[dih-zeez] / dɪˈziz /

noun

1. a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.

   Synonyms:

   malady, disorder, infirmity, indisposition, distemper, derangement, complaint, morbidity

   Antonyms:

   health

2. any abnormal condition in a plant that interferes with its vital physiological processes, caused by pathogenic microorganisms, parasites, unfavorable environmental, genetic, or nutritional factors, etc.

3. any harmful, depraved, or morbid condition, as of the mind or society.

   His fascination with executions is a disease.

4. decomposition of a material under special circumstances.

   tin disease.

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verb (used with object)

diseased, diseasing

1. to affect with disease; make ill.

   Antonyms:

   cure

disease British  

/ dɪˈziːz /

noun

1. any impairment of normal physiological function affecting all or part of an organism, esp a specific pathological change caused by infection, stress, etc, producing characteristic symptoms; illness or sickness in general

2. a corresponding condition in plants

3. any situation or condition likened to this

   the disease of materialism

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• diseasedly
  adverb
• diseasedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of disease

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English disese, from Anglo-French dese(a)se, disaise; dis- ¹ + ease

Explanation

A disease is a health condition that has a specific set of symptoms and traits — such as malaria or heart disease. Disease is not always about the human body being sick. Plants and animals are often the victims of disease. People also use the word disease in a more figurative sense to illustrate just how bad or damaging a negative influence can be — like the disease of greed among capitalists or the disease of plagiarism among college students.

Example Sentences

“Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, biologically defended disease. The body defends its highest sustained weight. So when weight decreases, compensatory mechanisms intensify. GLP‑1s blunt these signals, but they do not eliminate them entirely.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“The refugee and displaced camps have oral rehydration salts, ORS, because a lot of the children that die in the famine die from diarrheal disease. That's the biggest killer,” Natsios said.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2025

“This is a devastating disease. The evidence of its cause is overwhelming, and there’s something that we can do about it right now,” board Chair Joseph M. Alioto Jr. said before voting for the rules.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2024

"They are the reason I will never submit to this horrible disease. I want to be around to see them grow up and be here for as many milestones as possible."

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2024

“No weapon can hurt Balder. No disease. No rock. No tree. I have taken an oath from all the things there are that can harm.”

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• Cancer
• bug
• condition
• contamination
• defect
• disorder
• epidemic
• fever
• flu
• illness
• infection
• inflammation
• malady
• plague
• sickness
• stroke
• syndrome
• virus