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DictionarysicknessIllness
noun

sickness

SIK-nus/ˈsɪknəs/

A condition of ill health.

Sickness leaves the woman coughing in bed with a cool compress on her forehead.

A visibly ill young woman sits propped up in bed, coughing into a tissue while holding a thermometer, with a cool compress on her forehead.
Etymology
sickOld Englishill, weak
+nessOld Englishstate or quality

The ending -ness turns “ill” into the name of a condition: being sick. The Old English formation already covered both sickness generally and a particular disease.

In context

SOAS University of London14:02
sickness and wellness follow each other over many lifetimes in addition even when we do achieve good health in this lifetime that state of good health
Varieties of Religious Healing in Medieval Chinese Buddhism | SOAS University of London

More examples

  • Some childhood sicknesses spread quickly in crowded classrooms.
  • The winding road gives me a feeling of sickness.
  • She sees their cruelty as a sickness in society.

Forms

sickness · sicknesses

sick adjective — Affected by illness or feeling unwell.

Similar words

illness
Illness is the closest alternative for being physically unwell.
disease
Disease usually identifies a specific disorder with recognizable symptoms.
nausea
Nausea specifically means feeling as though you might vomit.