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disease

disease

2.3
An illness that harms the body or mind and causes symptoms
  • noun
  • /dɪˈziːz/
translation icon : enfermedad
  • Many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, require ongoing management and care.
  • chronic disease
  • cardiovascular disease
  • heart disease

When does the the Lyme disease situation kick in?

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Examples

  • Well, it's a complex disease and there's a lot to do.

  • So this is the virus which can cause the disease in humans.

  • And what that means is know that the disease is not your fault.

  • The other form of the disease is called familial.

  • But what if your mother had Alzheimer's disease and was living in a care home?

    Academic text (2011)
  • This suggests that the disease is recessive.

  • However, asking about and addressing the child's concerns about their disease and future management is important.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In Rome, dignity shortens life even more surely than disease.

  • Death from obesity-related chronic diseases is significantly higher for Black women than for White women.

    Academic text (2011)
  • You're suffering from a condition known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Synonyms

condition
vsdisease
783 3.7

A health problem that affects a person, often long-term

covers disorders that may be acute rather than chronic
illness
vsdisease
693 1.1

A time when a person is sick and cannot do normal things

highlights specific symptoms or affected body part
disorder
vsdisease
  • Specialized
449 4.3

A health condition in which the body or mind do not work normally

focuses on particular symptoms or body parts rather than disturbance alone
sickness
vsdisease
103 1.0

A time when your body is not healthy

refers to a defined disorder with specific symptoms or affected part
health problem
vsdisease
82 1.4

A condition of the body or mind that makes someone unwell and may stop them from working

specifies a disorder with particular symptoms or body part affected
ailment
vsdisease
63 3.4

A small illness that often lasts a long time

is used for disorders that may be more serious or specific
malady
vsdisease
15 7.9

An illness that affects the body or mind

emphasizes specific symptoms or affected body part
ill health
vsdisease
7 3.0

Being sick or having a long-term problem with your body

indicates a specific disorder with particular symptoms or affected body part

Antonyms

1.0

The condition of a person's body and mind, especially being free from illness or injury

52 3.2

Good physical and mental health that people try to keep

Idioms

Causing more harm than the problem it is meant to fix

An attempt to fix a problem that makes things worse than before

Compounds

heart disease
  • Specialized
144 1.9

A problem that makes the heart not work well

infectious disease
  • Specialized
37 3.0

A disease caused by germs that can spread from person to person

29 2.7

An illness you can get from someone when you have sex

Lyme disease
  • Specialized
23 3.5

An infection from tick bites causing rash, fever, swollen joints and sometimes serious problems if untreated

Alzheimer's disease
  • Specialized
21 3.7

A brain illness in older people that gets worse over time and causes memory loss and confusion

Parkinson's disease
  • Specialized
19 3.1

A long-term brain illness that causes shaking, stiff muscles, and slow movement

mad cow disease
  • Specialized
18 3.8

A deadly disease of cows that damages the brain and can make people sick if they eat the meat

15 3.5

A disease that affects the heart or blood vessels

genetic disease
  • Specialized
12 3.5

A health problem caused by a change in a person's genes that can be passed from parents

A long-lasting illness where the kidneys are damaged and do not work well

liver disease
  • Specialized
11 3.3

A health problem that harms the liver and stops it working well

autoimmune disease
  • Specialized
9 4.1

A disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues

celiac disease
  • Specialized
9 3.7

A condition where the immune system reacts to gluten and damages the small intestine making it hard to absorb nutrients

Lou Gehrig's disease
  • Specialized
8 4.1

A serious disease that slowly stops the muscles you can control from working

communicable disease
  • Specialized
7 3.6

A disease that spreads between people or animals, often by touch

7 3.7

A disease spread by sexual contact

6 3.3

Arteries that bring blood to the heart become narrow or blocked by cholesterol and fat

brain disease
  • Specialized
5 3.2

An illness that damages the brain and makes it work less well

5 3.3

A problem that affects the skin, causing redness or itching

A disease that easily spreads between people

mental disease
  • Specialized
5 4.1

A serious problem that affects a person's mind and feelings and may need medical help

A condition that affects the blood or its cells

A disease that affects the lungs or airways and makes it hard to breathe

wasting disease
  • Specialized
4 7.3

A disease that makes a person lose weight and become weak, often affecting the lungs

Hodgkin's disease
  • Specialized
3 4.7

A type of cancer of the lymph system that causes painless swelling of lymph nodes and sometimes spleen and liver

inflammatory disease
  • Specialized
3 4.0

A health problem that makes a body part red, painful or swollen

neurological disease
  • Specialized
3 3.9

A health problem that affects the brain, spinal cord, or nerves

3 2.7

A disease where arteries to the heart become narrow or blocked, causing less blood to reach the heart

Huntington's disease
  • Specialized
3 4.9

An illness passed from parents that slowly damages the brain, causing problems with movement, thinking, and memory

Crohn's disease
  • Specialized
2 4.0

A long-term condition that makes the intestines swollen and sore, causing belly pain, diarrhea, and sometimes weight loss

eye disease
  • Specialized
2 3.3

A health problem that affects the eye and can harm vision

2 3.8

A very contagious viral disease of animals like cows or sheep that causes fever and mouth and hoof sores

2 6.0

A contagious disease that affects deer and elk, causing slow weight loss and strange behavior

Graves' disease
  • Specialized
2 4.2

A disease where the thyroid is too active, causing bulging eyes and a swollen neck

Hansen's disease
  • Specialized
2 6.4

A long-term disease caused by a germ that makes skin sores and harms nerves, also called leprosy

inherited disease
  • Specialized
2 3.0

A disease passed from parents to their children through genes

hereditary disease
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A disease passed from parents to children through genes

1 3.4

A long-term illness that makes the gut swollen and sore, usually Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis

sickle-cell disease
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A blood condition passed from parents that makes red blood cells crescent-shaped and causes pain

1 4.6

An illness that spreads through sexual contact, like syphilis or gonorrhea

black lung disease
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A serious lung illness caused by breathing coal dust over many years, often in miners

A long-term lung disease that makes breathing difficult and often comes from smoking

1 8.9

A rare brain disease that causes rapid memory loss, loss of muscle control, and is usually fatal

A disease that spreads quickly and affects many people in one area

Legionnaires' disease
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A serious lung infection from Legionella bacteria that causes fever, cough, and can be fatal

1 3.9

A serious infection in a woman's lower belly that causes pain, fever, and unusual vaginal discharge

periodontal disease
  • Specialized
1 4.0

An infection of the gums and bone around the teeth that can cause tooth loss if not treated

congenital disease
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A health problem present when a baby is born

Addison's disease
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A rare condition where glands above the kidneys make too few hormones, causing weakness and low blood pressure

A sickness that affects animals and not humans

Meniere's disease
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A disorder of the inner ear causing sudden dizziness, ringing, and gradual hearing loss

A contagious disease that causes fever and painful sores on the mouth and feet of animals like cows and sheep

1 5.3

A long-term disease in which many small bags filled with liquid grow in the kidneys and make them bigger

Weil's disease
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A serious infection caused by bacteria that leads to fever, yellow skin, and kidney damage

Wilson's disease
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A rare inherited illness in which too much copper builds up in the liver, brain, and other organs

1 7.9

An old name for a kidney illness that causes swelling and protein in the urine

caisson disease
  • Archaic
1 8.3

A sickness from a quick drop in air pressure that causes joint pain, dizziness, and tiredness

A U.S. government health agency that studies and prevents diseases

Chagas disease
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A disease mainly in Latin America spread by insects that can damage the heart or stomach years after infection

Cushing's disease
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A condition in which the pituitary gland makes too much hormone, causing weight gain, high blood pressure, and weak muscles

deficiency disease
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A disease that happens when you do not have enough vitamins or minerals in your diet

1 4.3

A long-lasting condition where joint cartilage slowly breaks down causing pain and stiffness

Dutch elm disease
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A sickness of elm trees caused by a fungus that makes leaves wilt and trees die

kissing disease
  • Informal
1 3.7

An illness caused by a virus that spreads through saliva between people

Minamata disease
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A severe brain illness caused by eating fish with mercury in them

Gaucher's disease
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A rare inherited illness in which fat builds up in organs because a needed enzyme is missing

gland disease
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A health problem that affects a body part that makes important liquids and often changes how it works

Guinea worm disease
  • Specialized
1 6.6

An infection from drinking water with baby worms that causes painful blisters when the worm comes out

Hashimoto's disease
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A condition where the body's defence system slowly damages the thyroid gland in the neck

idiopathic disease
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A sickness that has no known cause

A disease caused by harmful work conditions, like dust or chemicals

occupational disease
  • Specialized
1 3.9

Illness workers get from harmful conditions at work, often after a long time

Sachs disease
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A rare inherited illness where fat builds up in nerve cells and often causes death in early childhood

How Severe

terminal
45 7.1
disease
2.3
illness
693 1.1
ailment
63 3.4

Surface Forms

disease singular
diseases plural

Etymology

Disease comes from old parts dis- 'not' and ease 'comfort'. So a disease is something that makes you 'not at ease', which is why today it means an illness or health problem.