English Dictionary
Definition illness in British English
illness
noun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.
These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
noun
What are red words?
Around 90% of spoken and written English relies on just 7,500 common words.These words are highlighted in red and are ranked using a star system.
- One-star words are commonly used
- Two-star words are even more common
- Three-star words are the most frequently used
Other ways of saying illness
disease a serious illness that usually lasts a long time, often one that affects a particular part of the body: tropical diseasesShe has a rare lung disease.
infection an illness that is caused by bacteria and that does not usually last a long time: He was off work with a throat infection.
virus a very small germ that causes illness, or an illness caused by these things: The virus is highly contagious.She has a virus.
condition an illness or medical problem that affects someone for a long time: a serious heart condition
disorder (formal) a situation in which a particular part of someone’s body does not operate normally, often causing illness for a long period of time: a stomach/heart/liver disorder
ailment a minor illness that may be painful or uncomfortable: He was complaining about his various ailments.
bug (informal) an illness caused by a virus or bacteria that is not serious and that does not usually last a long time: a stomach bug
patients who are recovering from major surgery or serious illness
a particular disease, or a period of being ill
