as in illnesses
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
they caught a rare disease while they were traveling in Africa and were sick for weeks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of diseases
If your plants were plagued by pests or diseases during the growing season, leaving diseased plant debris in your garden allows problems to overwinter and reinfect your plants in spring.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026
When making cuts, prune at a 45-degree angle to help water run off and prevent diseases.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 Jan. 2026
The plants are also more susceptible to diseases.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
To complicate things, however, berry flavor and sugar content can vary depending on weather and growing conditions like sunlight levels, air temperatures, soil moisture levels, plant crowding, and pests and diseases that stress the plant.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2026
The stated model for the new schedule is Denmark, a country that recommends universal childhood vaccination against only 10 diseases.
—Grayson Logue, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
The broader recommendation to vaccinate all children against a number of diseases is a way to address these discrepancies and protect the greatest number of people possible, says Frieden.
—Alice Park, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, rates of , such as measles, whooping cough and other diseases that can be protected against with vaccines are rising across the country.
—Ammy Galeano, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Make sure to use clean garden tools for cutting to avoid spreading diseases among plants, and disinfect the tools between cuts.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diseases
Noun
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That’s different that the crisis caused when formula produced by Abbott was linked to infant deaths and illnesses in 2022.—
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For less severe illnesses, people will usually recover with rest and hydration.—
Noun
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
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In 2010, two years before his death at 82 from complications of heart and lung ailments, Reisman founded Table Tennis Nation.—
Noun
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And among parents, the fear of illnesses like polio, measles and other sicknesses were always present.—
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Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.—
Noun
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Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.—
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Despite so many errors, The Information is now the paper of record on the ills of Nvidia.—
Noun
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Today’s pairs are built for all conditions, designed to carry you through long days without blisters or fuss, while still looking effortless.—
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Fires will catch and spread rapidly under these conditions.—
Noun
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The county said these diagnostic services will help cardiologists diagnose and treat conditions like congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysms, heart rhythm disorders and valvular heart disease.—
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The Behavioral Health Administration is a division of Human Services responsible for administering grants to programs meant to help children and adults treat different mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders.—
Noun
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The high fevers, hospitalizations, and dehydration that these illnesses cause can be painful and disruptive—and, with vaccines, avoidable.—
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For example, pulse oximeters (the small clips placed on a finger to test oxygen) are less accurate on darker skin, and temperature scanners often used in clinics can under-detect fevers in Black patients.—
Cite this Entry
“Diseases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diseases. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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