malady

noun

ˈma-lə-dē How to pronounce malady (audio)
Definition of maladynext
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning in the olden days people were always suffering from some unknown malady

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malady Several cultures use the plant therapeutically to treat a variety of maladies, including dandruff, hair loss, stomachaches, and fever. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026 Haberman and Swan make clear the dimensions of his malady. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 June 2026 Over the decades the O’odham placed some barbed wire along the border to keep livestock from straying into the neighboring country, limiting the spread of maladies such as foot-and-mouth disease and hindering cattle thieves. — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 Many business leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argue companies are AI washing, or using the technology as an apt justification for layoffs when in reality, they’re enacted due to another underlying budgetary malady. — Jake Angelo, Fortune, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for malady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malady
  1. disease
  2. ailment
  3. illness
  4. ill
  5. fever
Noun
  • Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia are difficult to study, in part because diagnosing the disease early in people is challenging.
    — Julie Moreno, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Younger demographics are being diagnosed with increasing cases of colon cancer, and people of color face disproportionately higher mortality rates from the disease.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of disease
Noun
  • Another handful of Panthers injuries to monitor The Panthers also have a few ailments to keep track of during the Week 5 bye.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This puzzle is stuffed with nuance, pleasing crosses and a lot of simply terrific, ridiculously evocative stuff — for example, a jarring assortment of lovely trivia intersecting with some hideous ailments at more than one juncture.
    — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of ailment
Noun
  • Authorities have said Ervebo could offer some protection against Bundibugyo, but whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness is still being studied.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Blanchard has said her mother abused her for years and forced her to fake serious illnesses.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of illness
Noun
  • In the story, the duck doesn’t make it, and the now-ill patient didn’t wear any gloves while handling it.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The game’s maker, Paolo Pedercini, has long diagnosed the ills of modern capitalism through countercultural video games like Phone Story (2011), which depicted the exploitative supply chain of a smartphone.
    — Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ill
Noun
  • Contact the treating clinician promptly for worsening pain, spreading redness or warmth, pus-like drainage, fever, extensive blistering, eye symptoms, or a reaction substantially more severe than described.
    — Malana VanTyler, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Duale said the patient had symptoms including fever, chills, fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, sore throat and painful swallowing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of fever

Browse Nearby Words

maladroitness
malady
malaise
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Malady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malady. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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