Ailment

/ˈeɪlmənt/

Synonyms for "ailment" (109 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (22)

abnormalityacute diseaseaffectionafflictionallergic diseaseallergyatrophyattackbacterial diseasebirth defectblightcardiovascular diseasechronic diseasecirculatory diseasecomplaintcomplicationconditioncongenital defect
Noun(4 words)

Strong matches (33)

Adjective(1 words)
current illness
defectdeficiency diseasedeformitydegenerative diseasedisabilitydiseasedisorderdisquietdisquietudedistemperendemicendemic diseaseendocrine diseaseepidemic diseasefermentfunctional diseasefungus diseasegastrointestinal diseasegenetic diseasehandicap
Show 4 more words
hereditary diseaseiatrogenic diseaseillillness
Noun(8 words)
diseasedisease statediseasesdisordershealth conditionhealth problemillillness

Related words (54)

Noun(10 words)
indispositioninfectious diseaseinfirmityinquietudemaladymalaisemorbiditymorbusmuscular diseaseneurological diseasenutritional diseaseoccupational diseaseorganic diseasepandemic diseasepathological conditionpathologypipplant diseaseprotozoan diseasepsychosomatic disease
Show 24 more words
queasinessrespiratory diseaserestivenessrestlessnessrockinesssecondary diseaseseedinesssickishnesssicknesssignsignssymptomsymptomatologysymptomologysymptomssyndromethe piptroubleturmoilunresturogenital diseasevirus diseasewasting diseaseworm disease

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: abnormality, acute disease, affection, affections, affliction.
  • Sentence evidence is available for ailment, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ailment".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "ailment"

Keep "ailment" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ailment" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "ailment", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ailment" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

4 relation types

More general

3 entries
disordermedical conditionupset

More specific

2 entries
gastrointestinal ailmentrespiratory ailment

Collocations

6 entries
acute ailmentchronic ailmentcommon ailmentminor ailmentserious ailmentterminal ailment

Inflections

1 entries

Sample sentences

11 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

The doctor said that this ailment is incurable.

Source: tatoeba (1115827)

After receiving treatment for a stomach ailment acquired while traveling overseas, Tom and Mary endured weeks of horrendous abdominal gas from the prescribed antibiotics.

Source: tatoeba (6887400)

“This man had every conceivable physical ailment toward the end, yet he never complained,” Lord said, sending his friend off in a note of admiration.

Source: tatoeba (8264277)

The doctor, entering the treatment room, asked the patient, "Are you the appendix?" – in so doing, reducing the person to his ailment.

Source: tatoeba (10520344)

Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "ailment"?

Closest matches include abnormality, acute disease, affection, affections, affliction.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "ailment"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "ailment"