View synonyms for illness

illness

[ il-nis ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

poor health; sickness:
He grew up in an environment known for poverty, illness, and little opportunity for education.
a specific sickness or disease, or an instance of such:
Please be as accurate as possible in listing your childhood illnesses.
Synonyms: infirmity, affliction, ailment
Obsolete. wickedness.

illness

/ ˈɪlnɪs /

Origin of illness¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; ill + -ness

He beat his illness twice, wrote about his battles with the disease, and continued broadcasting even as his health was failing.

The Samaritan guidelines are written around the assumption that suicide is a purely irrational act, an act spurred by illness.

Few reports of his mental illness discuss lead poisoning as a possible reason for his mental deterioration.

Murder, suicide, illness, old age: These deaths stalk us all, but in prison, they collect us so much more cheaply.

“It's insane to see what the extreme version of that type of helpless anger combined with mental illness can create,” Cook wrote.

After about eighteen months of office work I had a long and serious illness and was away from duty for nearly half a year.

There remain still the uncounted thousands who by accident or illness, age or infirmity, are unable to maintain themselves.

It was written in evident anxiety, and the chief subject was the illness of his daughter.

Mr. Ernescliffe manages him very well—used to illness on that African coast, and the doctor is very fond of him.

Comyn, hearing of Bruce's serious illness, advanced against him with Mowbray and Brechin, and with a largely superior force.

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