Illness Meaning
/ˈɪl.nəs/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAn instance of a disease or poor health.
nounAn instance (episode) of a disease or poor health.
Sentence Examples
I feel indebted to you for your help during my illness.
I sincerely hope that you will soon recover from your illness.
The virus can cause illness in humans.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The sudden fever and cough were clear signs of a serious ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sudden ____ that swept through the city forced the schools and shops to close temporarily.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English ill Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English illness From ill + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"This further exacerbated the diagnostic challenge posed by undifferentiated febrile illness during a “twindemic” of both COVID-19 and dengue, as both illnesses could potentially present with febrile syndromes."
— 2022 May 7, Liang En Wee, Edwin Philip Conceicao, Jean Xiang-Ying Sim, May Kyawt Aung, Aung Myat Oo, et al., “Dengue and COVID-19: Managing Undifferentiated Febrile Illness during a ‘Twindemic’”, in Tropical medicine and infectious disease, →DOI:
"Illness is a wholistic reality, just as health is wholistic, and healing is the process of moving from illness to health."
— 2012, Anne Westhues, Canadian Social Policy: Issues and Perspectives:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The sudden fever and cough were clear signs of a serious ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sudden ____ that swept through the city forced the schools and shops to close temporarily.