symptom
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a change in your body or mind that shows you are ill, such as a cough or a fever.
a physical or mental manifestation of a disease or disorder as perceived by the patient.
Simple“A high temperature and a dry cough are common symptoms of the flu.”
In context“The patient presented with several neurological symptoms, including persistent dizziness and a loss of coordination in the left hand.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of' to name the specific illness.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a sign that a bad situation or a larger problem exists.
an indicator or characteristic sign of an underlying undesirable condition or social trend.
Simple“The messy office was just a symptom of his busy and stressful life.”
In context“Economists argue that the rising cost of housing is merely a symptom of a much deeper structural imbalance in the national economy.”
Usage symptoms include · symptoms of anxiety · exhibit symptom
From Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα (súmptōma, “a happening, accident, symptom of disease”), from stem of συμπίπτω (sumpíptō, “Ι befall”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + πίπτω (píptō, “to fall”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.