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
Formal lymphatic drainage massage is clinically proven for people with lymphatic dysfunction such as post-surgical patients or those with lymphedema and people managing certain chronic conditions.
—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
29 June 2026
According to neighbors, the stoplight dysfunction has confused drivers and led to multiple crashes.
—
Drew Aunkst,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Most patients present with fever, profound fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, while severe illness is driven by dehydration, shock, immune dysregulation, and multiorgan dysfunction rather than catastrophic hemorrhage.
—
Krutika Kuppalli,
STAT,
26 June 2026
Some of the best scenes happen near the end when Maddie’s dreadful, piece-of-work mom (played to the nines by Kristen Johnston) sallies her way in to create more family dysfunction in her wake.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
29 June 2026
According to neighbors, the stoplight dysfunction has confused drivers and led to multiple crashes.
—
Drew Aunkst,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Most patients present with fever, profound fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, while severe illness is driven by dehydration, shock, immune dysregulation, and multiorgan dysfunction rather than catastrophic hemorrhage.
—
Krutika Kuppalli,
STAT,
26 June 2026
Some of the best scenes happen near the end when Maddie’s dreadful, piece-of-work mom (played to the nines by Kristen Johnston) sallies her way in to create more family dysfunction in her wake.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dysfunction
Noun
-
The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.
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The rabies vaccine, if administered immediately after exposure, is nearly 100% successful at preventing the disease, according to the World Health Organization.
Noun
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Her 12-year-old son, Whitman, has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, in which the brain struggles to tell muscles how to move to form words or perform other motor skills.
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The platform also provides a framework for treating brain disorders using real-time feedback from the nervous system itself, Wang adds.
Cite this Entry
“Dysfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dysfunction. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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