variants
also disfunction
as in disease
impaired or abnormal functioning (as of a body part)
She's suffered from minor brain dysfunction since the accident.
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Recent Examples of dysfunction
These include celiac disease, pelvic floor dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, hormonal imbalances such as hypothyroidism, metabolic disorders like diabetes, neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or even certain cancers.
—
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
What’s at stake extends beyond bureaucratic dysfunction to measurable harm.
—Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
In an exclusive first trailer (see below), indigenous Sami traditions, modern-day expectations, and a healthy dose of familial dysfunction combine for hilariously chaotic results.
—Penelope Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
United’s decade-plus of footballing dysfunction owes a partial debt to hiring processes that can make sense in the moment, but leave head coaches overexposed.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
What’s at stake extends beyond bureaucratic dysfunction to measurable harm.
—Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
In an exclusive first trailer (see below), indigenous Sami traditions, modern-day expectations, and a healthy dose of familial dysfunction combine for hilariously chaotic results.
—Penelope Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
United’s decade-plus of footballing dysfunction owes a partial debt to hiring processes that can make sense in the moment, but leave head coaches overexposed.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dysfunction
Noun
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Those drugs, which target rare diseases, and some newer cancer treatments are part of the reason Sun Life Financial covered 47 claims last year that cost over $3 million.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Certain health conditions, including liver disease, cancer, diabetes or HIV, or immunosuppressants, raise the risk for severe illness.—
Mollye Barrows,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, these insights could inform the development of new therapeutic strategies for brain disorders, potentially improving treatments and outcomes for human health.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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Time behind bars often brings exposure to violence, isolation, and the loss of personal control, experiences that can create lingering fear, anxiety, and symptoms much like post-traumatic stress disorder.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dysfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dysfunction. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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