ENGLISH
REFERENCE

illness

n. C / U
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈɪɫnəs// UK //ˈɪlnəs// ill·ness General-service

n. a condition where your body or mind is not healthy, such as having the flu or a cold.

n. a state of poor health or a specific condition that affects the body or mind.


SIMPLE

She missed two days of work because of a sudden illness.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor asked several questions to determine if the patient's illness was caused by a virus or bacteria.

COMPLEX

Chronic illness often requires a multifaceted approach to management, balancing medical intervention with lifestyle adjustments to maintain a reasonable quality of life.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From ill + -ness.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general state of being unwell; countable when referring to specific types of diseases or medical conditions.

Pitfall

He has a long illnessHe has a long-term illnessWhen describing the duration of a condition, 'long-term' or 'chronic' is preferred over the bare adjective 'long'.

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