Sickness

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɪknɪs/

Definitions

1. The condition of experiencing physical or mental illness that affects normal health
2. A state in which the body or mind is unhealthy, often causing discomfort or malfunction
3. An ailment or disorder causing a person to feel weak, unwell, or impaired

Etymology: "Sickness" is a straightforward compound: the adjective "sick" joined to the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality, as in "darkness" or "kindness." The suffix has been doing this job since Old English, when it was spelled "-nes" and attached to all sorts of descriptive words. The base word "sick" has a longer pedigree in the same family of forms. Old English speakers used forms like "sēocnes" and "sēocness" for the state of being ill, and the word passed through Middle English as "sikness" before settling into its modern spelling. Across those centuries the sound and spelling shifted, but the core idea never changed: a body or mind that is not working as it should.

Synonyms: illness, disease, disorder, malady, affliction

Antonyms: health, wellness, fitness, vigor, strength