If you have an illness, there is something wrong with your health. An illness can last for a long time or a short time, and its effects can be serious or not serious.
You can use the adjectives long and short in front of illness, but not in front of disease.
A disease is a particular kind of illness caused by bacteria or an infection. Diseases can often be passed from one person to another.
Animals and plants can also have diseases, but not illnesses.
Noun | 1. | ![]() illness, sickness, unwellness, malady - impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism disease of the neuromuscular junction - a disease characterized by impairment of neuromuscular junctions aspergillosis - disease especially in agricultural workers caused by inhalation of Aspergillus spores causing lumps in skin and ears and respiratory organs anthrax - a disease of humans that is not communicable; caused by infection with Bacillus anthracis followed by septicemia blackwater - any of several human or animal diseases characterized by dark urine resulting from rapid breakdown of red blood cells cat scratch disease - a disease thought to be transmitted to humans by a scratch from a cat complication - any disease or disorder that occurs during the course of (or because of) another disease; "bed sores are a common complication in cases of paralysis" crud - an ill-defined bodily ailment; "he said he had the crud and needed a doctor" endemic, endemic disease - a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location enteropathy - a disease of the intestinal tract incompetence - inability of a part or organ to function properly Kawasaki disease, mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome - an acute disease of young children characterized by a rash and swollen lymph nodes and fever; of unknown cause boutonneuse fever, Indian tick fever, Kenya fever, Marseilles fever - a disease (common in India and around the Mediterranean area) caused by a rickettsia that is transmitted to humans by a reddish brown tick (ixodid) that lives on dogs and other mammals Meniere's disease - a disease of the inner ear characterized by episodes of dizziness and tinnitus and progressive hearing loss (usually unilateral) milk sickness - caused by consuming milk from cattle suffering from trembles mimesis - any disease that shows symptoms characteristic of another disease industrial disease, occupational disease - disease or disability resulting from conditions of employment (usually from long exposure to a noxious substance or from continuous repetition of certain acts) onychosis - any disease or disorder of the nails rheumatism - any painful disorder of the joints or muscles or connective tissues periarteritis nodosa, polyarteritis nodosa - a progressive disease of connective tissue that is characterized by nodules along arteries; nodules may block the artery and result in inadequate circulation to the particular area periodontal disease, periodontitis - a disease that attacks the gum and bone and around the teeth liver disease - a disease affecting the liver communicable disease - a disease that can be communicated from one person to another exanthema subitum, pseudorubella, roseola infantilis, roseola infantum - a viral disease of infants and young children; characterized by abrupt high fever and mild sore throat; a few days later there is a faint pinkish rash that lasts for a few hours to a few days respiratory disease, respiratory disorder, respiratory illness - a disease affecting the respiratory system congenital disease, genetic abnormality, genetic defect, genetic disease, genetic disorder, hereditary condition, hereditary disease, inherited disease, inherited disorder - a disease or disorder that is inherited genetically inflammatory disease - a disease characterized by inflammation autoimmune disease, autoimmune disorder - any of a large group of diseases characterized by abnormal functioning of the immune system that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against your own tissues deficiency disease - any disease caused by a lack of an essential nutrient (as a vitamin or mineral) cystic breast disease, cystic mastitis, fibrocystic breast disease, fibrocystic disease of the breast - the presence of one or more cysts in a breast goiter, goitre, struma, thyromegaly - abnormally enlarged thyroid gland; can result from underproduction or overproduction of hormone or from a deficiency of iodine in the diet pappataci fever, phlebotomus, sandfly fever - a mild viral disease transmitted by the bite of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasii |