An apology, founded upon a slight indisposition, was alleged as an excuse for the absence of Miss Ashton, whose seat appeared unoccupied.
Source: tatoeba (7760680)
Indisposition
/ɪnˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
Synonyms for "indisposition" (137 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (28)
Noun(4 words)
abnormalityacute diseaseaffectionafflictionailmentallergic diseaseallergyantipathyatrophyaversenessaversionbackwardnessbacterial diseasebad booksbirth defectblightcardiovascular diseasechronic diseasecirculatory diseasecomplaint
Show 4 more words
Strong matches (41)
defectdeficiency diseasedeformitydegenerative diseasedisabilitydisagreementdiseasedisfavordisinclinationdislikedislikingdisobediencedisorderdispleasuredisrelishdissatisfactiondissentdistastedistemperendemic
Show 17 more words
endemic diseaseendocrine diseaseepidemic diseasefoot draggingfoot-draggingfractiousnessfunctional diseasefungus diseasegastrointestinal diseasegenetic diseasegrudging consentgrudgingnesshandicaphereditary diseaseiatrogenic diseaseillnessindisposedness
Related words (68)
indocilityinfectious diseaseinfirmityintractablenesslack of enthusiasmlack of zealmaladymalaisemorbiditymorbusmuscular diseasemutinousnessneurological diseasenolitionnutritional diseaseobstinacyoccupational diseaseoppositionorganic diseasepandemic disease
Show 42 more words
pathological conditionpathologyperfunctorinesspipplant diseaseprotozoan diseasepsychosomatic diseaserecalcitrancerecalcitrancyrefractorinessrefusalreluctancerenitencerenitencyrepugnanceresistancerespiratory diseaserockinesssecondary diseaseseedinesssickishnesssicknesssignsignsslownessstubbornnesssulksulkinesssulkssullennesssymptomsymptomatologysymptomologysymptomssyndromethe pipunenthusiasmunwillingnessurogenital diseasevirus diseasewasting diseaseworm disease
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: disinclination, hesitation, reluctance, abnormality, acute disease.
- Sentence evidence is available for indisposition, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, 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 "indisposition".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "indisposition"
Keep "indisposition" 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 "indisposition" 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 "indisposition", 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 "indisposition" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
9 entriesCollocations
6 entriesindisposition to attendindisposition to participateindisposition to travelmild indispositionslight indispositiontemporary indisposition
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
6 total sentences available.
I was scarce sooner recovered from my indisposition than Amelia herself fell ill.
Source: wiktionary
She began not to understand a word they said, and was obliged to plead indisposition and excuse herself.
Source: wiktionary
During those three hellish days at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee was badly suffering from a severe case of diarrhea after having eaten too many cherries, an indisposition—given his ill-considered and ultimately amateurishly fatal decision for the Confederacy to attack from the front (and relatively below) on July 3, 1863—that cost his army a victory that day, an incredible mismaneuver and unstrategic folly that became, as it turned out, the turning-point of the entire war that led to the full and final defeat of the South.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 6 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "indisposition"?
Closest matches include disinclination, hesitation, reluctance, abnormality, acute disease.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "indisposition"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.