Definitions

illness

[il-nis] / ˈɪl nɪs /

NOUN

disease; bad health

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ailment breakdown collapse disability disorder disturbance flu ill health malady relapse seizure sickness syndrome virus

STRONG

affliction attack bug complaint confinement convalescence dose fit indisposition infirmity malaise prostration

WEAK

ailing diseasedness failing health poor health unhealth what's going around

Antonyms

STRONGEST

health order

STRONG

aid good health healthiness

WEAK

well-being wellness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Illness comes whether you are poor or rich, whether you are good or bad.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Illness is predicted to spread faster, infect more people and put higher-risk groups at greater chance of being seriously ill or hospitalized.

From Salon • Nov. 28, 2025

Illness doesn’t reflect a lack of effort, and bad things happen to the most proactive among us.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of the mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness, believes the state of mental healthcare in the UK has made tragic outcomes inevitable.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2024

Illness and death still exist and cannot be hidden.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

illness

Example Sentences

Related Words