sickness
gb/sˈɪknəs/ us/sˈɪknəs/
A2
English
~ 4000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
state
1
state of being ill
The state of not feeling well because of illness or disease.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has [sickness]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sickness' with 'illness' or 'disease' without realizing 'sickness' is often used in everyday speech for general unwellness, while 'disease' is more medical.
Synonyms
illness (More formal and slightly broader in use; often used in medical or official contexts.)
|
disease (Refers more specifically to a diagnosable medical condition; can be chronic or acute.)
Antonyms
health (The opposite condition, referring to a state of physical and mental well-being.)
Collocations
motion sickness
|morning sickness
|serious sickness
|recover from sickness
|spread sickness
Themes
health
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She missed work for a week due to sickness.
- The school closed to prevent the spread of sickness.
- Sickness kept him in bed for several days.
- Travelers are warned about the risk of sickness from contaminated water.
- His sudden sickness worried the whole family.
Learner examples
- I stayed home because of sickness.
- Sickness made her very tired.
- He has a sickness that makes him cough.
- Sickness can spread quickly in a small room.
- My mother is getting better after her sickness.
Noun
B1
state
2
nausea or urge to vomit
A bad feeling in your stomach that makes you think you might throw up.
Usage pattern:
[someone] feels [sickness]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with general illness, but here it specifically means nausea.
Synonyms
nausea (More precise medical term for the feeling of wanting to vomit.)
Antonyms
comfort (Refers to a state free from such discomfort or queasiness.)
Collocations
morning sickness
|motion sickness
|feel sickness
|cause sickness
Themes
health
|daily life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She felt a wave of sickness after the boat started moving.
- The smell of the food brought on his sickness.
- Pregnant women often experience morning sickness.
- He was overcome with sickness during the long bus ride.
Learner examples
- I feel sickness when I read in the car.
- The smell gave me sickness.
- She has morning sickness every day.
- Sickness comes when the boat moves too fast.
Noun
B1
entity
3
specific disease or condition
A certain disease or health problem that someone has.
Usage pattern:
[someone] suffers from [sickness]
Synonyms
ailment (A mild illness, often chronic or persistent.)
|
condition (A broad term for any health problem, not necessarily infectious.)
Antonyms
cure (Refers to the complete removal of a disease from the body.)
Collocations
rare sickness
|deadly sickness
|infectious sickness
Themes
health
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He was diagnosed with a rare sickness.
- This sickness affects only a small percentage of the population.
- Vaccines can prevent certain types of sickness.
Learner examples
- She has a sickness called malaria.
- This sickness spreads quickly in summer.
- Doctors can treat this sickness.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sickness
IPA
GB/sˈɪknəs/
US/sˈɪknəs/
Syllables & stress
sick - ness (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sick)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sickness
- Plural: sickness, sicknesses
Word family
Expressions
motion sickness
1/mˈoʊʃən sˈɪknəs/
fixed phrase
nausea from traveling movement
Feeling sick because of movement in a car, boat, plane, etc.
Examples
- I always get motion sickness on long car trips.
- She took medicine to prevent motion sickness before the cruise.
altitude sickness
1/ˈæltətˌud sˈɪknəs/
fixed phrase
illness from being at high altitude
A health problem with headache, sickness, and tiredness that some people get when they go too high above sea level too quickly.
Examples
- Climbers can get altitude sickness if they go up too fast.
- Several climbers had to stop because of severe altitude sickness.
- He had to stop hiking due to altitude sickness.
- Drinking plenty of water can help reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
- Tourists are advised to ascend slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
morning sickness
1/mˈɔɹnɪŋ sˈɪknəs/
fixed phrase
pregnancy-related nausea
Feeling sick in the stomach, often in the morning, that some women have during early pregnancy.
Examples
- Morning sickness is common during the first trimester.
- Morning sickness is common in the first trimester of pregnancy.
- She had to leave work early because of her morning sickness.
- She had morning sickness almost every day for two months.