Sickness: English Vocabulary List

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"

severe physical or mental pain

"The injured animal was in obvious agony and needed a vet immediately."

"Agony is an extreme and prolonged feeling of physical or emotional pain that is so intense it becomes almost impossible to bear without relief."

(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."

(of a disease) transmittable from one person to another through close contact

"The flu is contagious."

"The disease is extremely contagious so anyone who has been in contact must stay home for two weeks."

unable to breathe easily

"She was breathless."

"The runner was breathless after sprinting up the hill and she had to stop for a moment to catch her breath."

unable to keep one's balance and feeling as though everything is circling around one, caused by an illness or looking down from a high place

"I feel dizzy."

"The spinning ride made her feel dizzy so she closed her eyes and held onto the safety bar until it stopped."

having or caused by a fever

"The child is feverish."

"The child was feverish and her mother put a cool cloth on her forehead while waiting for the doctor."

(of a part of the body) unusually large, particularly because of an injury or illness

"My ankle is swollen."

"His ankle was swollen after he twisted it during the basketball game so the coach told him to put ice on it."

a disease that causes shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing

"Her asthma attack required immediate medication."

"The child had an asthma attack and needed to use his inhaler immediately to breathe properly."

a dangerous disease among birds, especially poultry, that can be transmitted to humans and sometimes kill them

"Bird flu spreads fast."

"Bird flu is a viral infection that spreads among poultry but can occasionally infect humans."

an infectious disease caused by a type of virus called coronavirus that causes fever, tiredness, a cough, etc., and in some cases can kill, originated in China and later became a pandemic

"Covid-19 changed life"

"Covid nineteen spread rapidly across the world in early 2020 causing a global health crisis."

a medical condition in which body waste turns to liquid and comes out frequently

"The traveler got diarrhea from drinking the dirty water in the village."

"After eating the spoiled food, he suffered from diarrhea and had to stay home from work."

an illness that causes a runny nose and watery eyes, caused by dust from plants that come into the body through the air

"Hay fever bothers her."

"Spring is difficult for people with hay fever because pollen causes sneezing and itchy eyes."

the virus that causes a very dangerous disease called AIDS, transmitted through blood or sexual activity

"HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system over time."

"HIV is a retrovirus that specifically targets the body's CD4 cells"

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."

a swollen area on the skin filled with liquid, caused by constant rubbing or by burning

"A blister formed on skin."

"A blister is a small pocket of fluid that forms on the skin due to friction"

a swollen area under the skin, usually caused by a sickness or injury

"She felt a lump"

"She felt a lump in her neck and decided to visit the doctor for a medical examination"

a mark that is left on one's skin after a wound or cut has healed

"The scar remains visible"

"The scar remains visible on his arm years after the accident and surgery treatment"

an area of one's body that has become unusually larger, caused by an injury or sickness

"The swelling on my ankle."

"Applying ice to the injured area helped reduce the swelling and pain in her sprained wrist."

a feeling of extreme tiredness that is usually caused by physical or mental overwork or exercise

"Extreme fatigue after running."

"Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex and debilitating condition characterized by extreme"

a crack or break in a bone or other hard substance

"The fracture healed slowly"

"The fracture healed slowly after months of rest and medical rehabilitation therapy"

to state that one feels ill or one's body part is in pain

"He complains of a severe headache today."

"Many patients complain of severe headaches and fatigue during the first few days of this new treatment."

to suddenly lose consciousness from a lack of oxygen in the brain, which is caused by a shock, etc.

"She faints from the intense summer heat."

"The bride nearly fainted at the altar because it was very hot and she had not eaten breakfast."

to transmit a disease to a person, animal, or plant

"A single mosquito can infect many people."

"The virus infected thousands of people within a few weeks causing a serious public health emergency in the region."

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."

the unexpected start of something terrible, such as a disease

"The outbreak spread quickly"

"The outbreak spread quickly through the city overwhelming hospitals and health services"

(biology) a small organism that lives on or inside another organism, called a host, and is dependent on it for nutrition and growth

"The parasite fed on blood."

"The tiny parasite attached itself to the fish's scales, draining its nutrients and weakening its host."

a brief shaking movement of one's body as a result of fear or being cold

"He felt a shiver"

"He felt a shiver running down his spine when he heard the strange sound at night"

exhausted because of too much physical work

"My shoes are worn out."

"The old shoes were worn out and had holes in the soles so he finally threw them away and bought a new pair."

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."

characterized by severe intensity or seriousness

"The pain was acute."

"The patient presented with an acute shortage of breath, indicating a serious medical emergency."

resulting in death

"The injury was fatal."

"The accident was so severe that it proved fatal to the driver of the vehicle."

a dangerous disease spread by rats that causes fever and swellings, often kills if infected

"The plague killed millions in medieval Europe."

"The bubonic plague killed millions of people in Europe during the fourteenth century pandemic."

a dangerous condition in which a person loses consciousness as a result of a blood vessel breaking open or becoming blocked in their brain, which could kill or paralyze a part of their body

"He had a stroke"

"He had a stroke suddenly and was immediately taken to the hospital for emergency treatment"

a part of one's skin covered with red spots, which is usually caused by a sickness or an allergic reaction

"She has a skin rash."

"The baby developed a red, itchy rash after eating strawberries for the first time."

a situation in which a person suddenly falls down or loses consciousness because of tiredness or an illness

"She suffered a collapse."

"After working for 48 hours straight, the exhausted man experienced a sudden collapse."

to regain health after an illness or become successful again after facing difficulties

"The economy bounces back after a recession."

"The team managed to bounce back from their early season losses and win the championship at the end of the year."

someone who cannot stop taking, using, or smoking a substance

"He is a drug addict"

"He is a drug addict struggling to recover through rehabilitation and medical support"

a person or animal that carries a disease, without suffering from it themselves, and transmits to other people or animals

"He is a carrier."

"The mosquito acted as a silent carrier of the virus, infecting many people without showing any symptoms itself."

a disease that spreads across a large region or even across the world

"The pandemic changed our lives."

"The recent pandemic affected millions of people worldwide and forced many countries to close their borders."

having difficulty breathing through one's nose, often due to a cold or allergy

"My nose is stuffy."

"The stuffy room had no windows and the air felt thick and heavy so she opened the door to let some fresh air in."

(of a body part) to become sore or irritated due to being rubbed against something

"These tight shoes chafe my heels badly."

"The rough fabric of the shirt chafed his skin and caused a red irritated rash on his neck."