serious illness
13
3.0
- noun
:
enfermedad grave
- You're dealing with a really serious illness and it brings up a lot of emotions.
- cause serious illness
- serious illness or injury
- serious illness and death
Lennon had some serious illnesses, but he had never had a major stroke before.
- Lennon had some serious illnesses, but he had never had a major stroke before.
- We really are able to keep people alive through a serious illness and often get them back to their normal life.
- So it's fair to say younger people are less susceptible to serious illness, kids even less so, and then young adults.
- It's just so important to, to start to quantify how, how significant these financial barriers can be for people with serious illness.
Examples
-
Often, people with acute or serious illnesses cannot sustain full-time work—if they can work at all.
Academic text (2005) -
"Palliative care" is appropriate for anyone living with a serious illness, regardless of the prognosis," she said.
Blog text (1) -
We really are able to keep people alive through a serious illness and often get them back to their normal life.
-
Have you been receiving medical treatment for any serious illness?
-
The stress of losing a home was second only to death and serious illness in the family.
Academic text (1992) -
Most of the patients here suffer from serious illnesses, either stage 2 or 3.
-
Wiman is referring to his struggle with a serious illness.
Academic text (2012) -
Bluetongue viruses can cause serious illness and death in sheep.
Academic text (1999) -
If one survives a serious illness, one feels overwhelmingly grateful.
Fiction book (2001) -
Have you been receiving medical treatment for any serious illness?
Synonyms
1
4.9
A very serious illness that needs long hospital care and costs a lot
Antonyms
How Severe
224
3.7
- Specialized
50
3.0
13
3.0
- Neologism
1
4.1
107
1.0
- Specialized
5
5.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a grave or severe health condition' is directly and compositionally derived from the adjective 'serious' (severe, grave) modifying the noun 'illness' (a health condition), so no idiomatic shift is required. This adjective+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the phrase.
Etymology
Serious illness joins serious, meaning 'very important or dangerous', and illness, meaning 'sickness'. It creates the image of a sickness that is strong and life-changing, so the phrase means a health problem that needs real care.