Diseases: English Vocabulary List

Explore 38 English words about diseases with pronunciation, definitions and example sentences.

38 words Act Science English Vocabulary
chronic /ˈkrɑnɪk/ adjective

(of an illness) difficult to cure and long-lasting

"He has chronic pain."

"The patient suffers from chronic back pain that has not improved despite trying many different treatments and medications over several years."

life-threatening /ˈɫaɪfˌθɹɛtnɪŋ/ adjective

posing a significant risk to a person's life

"The condition is life-threatening."

"The patient's condition was life threatening and the doctors performed emergency surgery to save his life."

asymptomatic /ˌeɪˌsɪmptəˈmætɪk/ adjective

(of a disease) not showing any symptoms associated with it

"She is asymptomatic."

"Many people with the virus are asymptomatic which means they show no symptoms but they can still spread the disease to others."

cardiovascular /ˌkɑɹdioʊˈvæskjəɫɝ/ adjective

related to the heart and blood vessels

"Exercise helps cardiovascular health."

"Exercise helps cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and improving blood circulation throughout the body."

ailment /ˈeɪlmənt/ noun

an illness, often a minor one

"His ailment was not serious."

"A psychosomatic ailment is a physical illness caused or significantly aggravated by a mental factor such as stress"

affliction /əˈfɫɪkʃən/ noun

a state of pain or suffering due to a physical or mental condition

"He suffers from affliction."

"The painful affliction lasted for many years."

contagion /kənˈteɪdʒən/ noun

any disease or virus that can be easily passed from one person to another

"The contagion spread quickly through the whole crowded city."

"The government closed the schools and canceled public events to prevent the contagion from spreading rapidly through the community."

prognosis /pɹɑɡˈnoʊsəs/ noun

a professional opinion regarding the likely course of an illness

"The prognosis was grim."

"the long-term prognosis is very good."

glaucoma /ɡɫɔˈkoʊmə/ noun

an eye condition characterized by increased pressure within the eye, which can lead to optic nerve damage and vision loss if not treated

"He has glaucoma."

"Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and can cause blindness."

inflammation /ˌɪnfɫəˈmeɪʃən/ noun

a physical condition in which a part of the body becomes swollen, painful, and red as a result of an infection or injury

"Inflammation caused swelling."

"The doctor noticed significant inflammation around the wound and prescribed an antibiotic cream."

sepsis /ˈsɛpsɪs/ noun

a severe, life-threatening response to infection causing widespread inflammation and potential organ failure

"Untreated infections may develop into dangerous sepsis"

"Doctors quickly treated her sepsis before it caused permanent damage."

fatty liver /fˈæɾi lˈɪvɚ/ noun

a condition where excess fat accumulates in liver cells, often due to factors like alcohol consumption or obesity

"Fatty liver disease is often caused by alcohol."

"Fatty liver disease is also called hepatic steatosis a condition where excess fat builds up in liver cells often due to obesity or alcohol use."

steatosis /stiːtˈoʊsɪs/ noun

a medical condition characterized by the abnormal accumulation of fat within liver cells

"Doctors detected liver steatosis during examination"

"Steatosis means abnormal fat accumulation in liver cells."

allergy /ˈæɫɝdʒi/ noun

a medical condition in which one's body severely reacts to a specific substance if it is inhaled, touched, or ingested

"Peanut allergy can trigger severe reactions rapidly"

"Her allergy to peanuts is so severe that even touching a surface that had contact with peanuts could trigger a dangerous reaction."

concussion /kənˈkəʃən/ noun

a momentary loss of consciousness provoked by a hard blow on the head

"The athlete suffered concussion after the hard collision"

"He couldn't play in the game because of his recent concussion."

autism /ˈɔˌtɪzəm/ noun

a disorder that begins in early childhood, causing behavioral, social, and communication challenges

"Autism affects communication and social interaction differently"

"Early intervention programs can significantly improve outcomes for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder."

hypertension /ˌhaɪpɝˈtɛnʃən/ noun

a condition that arises when one is experiencing a chronic elevation of blood pressure

"Regular exercise helps reduce hypertension risks"

"Hypertension increases risk of heart disease and stroke."

tuberculosis /təˌbɝkjəˈɫoʊsɪs/, /tuˌbɝkjəˈɫoʊsəs/, /tuˌbɝkjuˈɫoʊsəs/ noun

a potentially severe bacterial disease that primarily affects the lungs and causes swellings to appear on them or other parts of the body

"Tuberculosis spreads mainly through airborne droplets"

"Tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial lung infection."

cystic fibrosis /sˈɪstɪk fɪbɹˈoʊsɪs/ noun

a genetic disorder causing the production of thick and sticky mucus, affecting the respiratory and digestive systems and leading to various complications

"Cystic fibrosis patient."

"Cystic fibrosis affects lungs and digestive system."

yellow fever /jˈɛloʊ fˈiːvɚ/ noun

a tropical viral disease, characterized by fever, muscle pain, etc. which consequently leads to jaundice and potential death, transmitted by infected mosquitoes

"Yellow fever vaccine."

"Yellow fever is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes."

insomnia /ˌɪnˈsɑmniə/ noun

a disorder in which one is unable to sleep or stay asleep

"Insomnia kept him awake all night."

"Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is a structured program that helps identify and replace thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen chronic sleep problems."

obesity /oʊˈbiːsɪti/ noun

the condition of having such a high amount of body fat that it becomes very dangerous for one's health

"Obesity increases the risk of heart disease."

"Obesity is a serious health problem that increases the risk of heart disease diabetes and high blood pressure."

attention deficit disorder /ɐtˈɛnʃən dˈɛfɪsˌɪt dɪsˈoːɹdɚ/ noun

a neurological condition characterized by difficulty in sustaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, typically diagnosed in childhood and often persisting into adulthood

"Attention deficit disorder makes focusing difficult."

"Children with attention deficit disorder have trouble focusing on tasks may be easily distracted and often act without thinking about consequences."

dementia /dɪˈmɛnʃiə/ noun

a mental condition that happens when the brain is damaged by disease or injury, causing memory loss and impairing the ability to think or make decisions

"Dementia gradually affects memory and reasoning abilities"

"Dementia causes progressive decline in memory and thinking."

mumps /ˈməmps/ noun

an infectious viral disease characterized by fever and the painful swelling of the neck

"Mumps commonly causes swelling near the jaw"

"The mumps vaccine is part of the MMR shot, and the disease causes painful swelling of the salivary glands, giving patients a characteristic "hamster face" appearance."

measles /ˈmizəlz/ noun

a contagious disease that causes high fever and small red spots on the body, common in children

"Measles is contagious."

"Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can be prevented with the MMR vaccine."

narcolepsy /ˈnɑɹkəˌɫɛpsi/ noun

a neurological condition causing sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep, often accompanied by muscle weakness or vivid dreams

"She has narcolepsy."

"Narcolepsy causes sudden sleep attacks during the day."

restless leg syndrome /ɹˈɛstləs lˈɛɡ sˈɪndɹoʊm/ noun

a condition causing an irresistible urge to move the legs, often with uncomfortable sensations, usually worse in the evening or at night

"Restless leg syndrome (RLS)."

"Restless leg syndrome causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs."

dermatitis /ˌdɝməˈtaɪtɪs/ noun

a general term referring to inflammation of the skin, often causing redness, itching, and various skin conditions

"The lotion relieved her dermatitis symptoms quickly"

"Contact dermatitis causes red itchy skin when the skin touches an irritating substance or allergen."

gigantism /ɡˈɪɡəntˌɪzəm/ noun

a rare medical condition characterized by excessive growth and height due to an overproduction of growth hormone during childhood and adolescence

"Gigantism results from excessive growth hormone production"

"Gigantism results from excess growth hormone in childhood."

fester /ˈfɛstɝ/ noun

a sore or wound that has become infected and is producing pus, often characterized by inflammation and discomfort

"The fester produced pus."

"The deep wound developed into a painful fester, oozing pus and requiring immediate medical attention."

epidemic /ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/ noun

the rapid spread of an infectious disease within a specific population, community, or region, affecting a significant number of individuals at the same time

"The epidemic spread very fast."

"The government implemented strict quarantine measures to control the epidemic before it reached neighboring countries."

benign /bɪˈnaɪn/ adjective

(of an ilness) not fatal or harmful

"The tumor is benign."

"The tumor was benign which means it is not cancerous and the doctor said that no further treatment was necessary."

malignant /məˈɫɪɡnənt/ adjective

(of a tumor or disease) uncontrollable and likely to be fatal

"The cancer is malignant."

"The malignant tumor spread quickly to other parts of the body and the patient needed aggressive treatment to fight the cancer."

latent /ˈɫeɪtənt/ adjective

(of a medical condition or infection) present in the body but not currently producing symptoms

"The virus is latent."

"The latent virus can remain inactive in the body for years before suddenly reactivating and causing symptoms."

virulent /ˈvɪrələnt/ adjective

(of a disease) able to make one sick

"The flu is virulent."

"This particular strain of influenza is known for being exceptionally virulent, causing severe symptoms in patients."

syndrome /ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/ noun

a group of medical signs that indicate a person is suffering from a particular disease or condition

"He has a rare syndrome."

"Doctors are trying to identify the specific syndrome causing these unusual symptoms."

trauma /ˈtɹɔmə/ noun

a medical condition of the mind caused by extreme shock, which could last for a very long time

"The trauma was severe."

"Experiencing a significant childhood trauma can have long-lasting psychological effects on an individual's adult life."

Learn all 38 words in this list with spaced repetition

Start learning with Mnimi

Act Science English Vocabulary — Topics