illness
/'ilnis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A state of poor health or a specific disease: "Illness" refers to a condition in which the body or mind is not functioning normally due to disease, sickness, or disorder. It is a general term for being unwell.
- A particular instance or period of such a state: It can also refer to a specific disease or a distinct episode of being sick.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- She missed work due to a sudden illness. (She was absent from her job because she became sick unexpectedly.)
- Mental illness requires compassionate care and treatment. (Psychological disorders need understanding and medical help.)
- The doctor diagnosed his illness as pneumonia. (The physician identified his specific disease as pneumonia.)
Advanced Usage
"to feign illness": to pretend to be sick.
- He feigned illness to avoid taking the test. (He pretended to be sick so he would not have to take the examination.)
"a bout of illness": a short period of being sick.
- She suffered a brief bout of illness last month. (She was sick for a short time during the previous month.)
"terminal illness": a disease that cannot be cured and will likely cause death.
- The hospice provides care for patients with a terminal illness. (The hospice offers support to patients who have an incurable, life-ending disease.)
Variants and Related Words
Ill (adj): not healthy; sick.
- He felt too ill to get out of bed. (He felt so sick that he could not leave his bed.)
Sickness (n): a state of being ill; often used interchangeably with "illness," though sometimes implies nausea or a specific feeling of being unwell.
- Motion sickness is common on boats. (Nausea from movement is frequent when traveling by sea.)
Synonyms
- Disease: A specific, often named, pathological condition affecting the body.
- Ailment: A minor or chronic illness, often less severe.
- Disorder: A disruption of normal physical or mental functions.
- Malady: A disease or ailment (a more formal or literary term).
Related Phrases
To contract an illness: to catch or become infected with a disease.
- He contracted a serious illness while traveling. (He became infected with a severe disease during his trip.)
To recover from an illness: to get better after being sick.
- It took her weeks to fully recover from her illness. (She needed several weeks to become completely healthy again after being sick.)
Related Idioms
A clean bill of health: a report or declaration that someone is healthy and free from illness.
- After the check-up, the doctor gave him a clean bill of health. (Following the medical examination, the doctor stated he was perfectly healthy.)
Under the weather: feeling slightly ill.
- I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so I'll stay home. (I feel a little sick today, therefore I will remain at home.)
Noun
- impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism