as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
in the olden days people were always suffering from some unknown malady
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Recent Examples of malady
To paraphrase Tolstoy, all stable liberal democracies have a family resemblance; all failing dictatorships have maladies of their own.
—
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
None of those potential changes will matter if the malady the Leafs feel is real.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Debate about the author’s puzzling malady continues among Austen scholars, with some leaning toward lymphoma and others supporting the more recent lupus hypothesis.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025
Previously, skeptics have argued that China’s regime would be toppled, or its economic growth torpedoed, by a variety of maladies—public backlash in response to repressive COVID-19 policies, for example, or the costs of mitigating environmental devastation.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malady
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
None of those potential changes will matter if the malady the Leafs feel is real.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Debate about the author’s puzzling malady continues among Austen scholars, with some leaning toward lymphoma and others supporting the more recent lupus hypothesis.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025
Previously, skeptics have argued that China’s regime would be toppled, or its economic growth torpedoed, by a variety of maladies—public backlash in response to repressive COVID-19 policies, for example, or the costs of mitigating environmental devastation.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malady
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malady
Noun
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding had been allocated to disease control programs in all four states, though California Atty.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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The disease begins with the formation of benign polyps in the body's large intestine, also known as the colon.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Peterson has missed 11 of KU’s 24 games because of hamstring tightness, cramping, a quad ailment and illness issues.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
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The building had many ailments, and the landlord seemed intent on doing as little as possible about them.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Among those on the field at Stanford University was quarterback Drake Maye, who was limited all of last week with a shoulder injury and missed Friday's session with an illness.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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But availability remains a persistent question for Porzingis, who has been limited to 17 games this season, due in part to the chronic autonomic nervous system illness POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The conductor added that opera not only reveals societal ills but can model what an ideal society can look like.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For those gray, dreary Berlin February days, the Berlinale this year is offering a colorful fever dream of a cinematic antidote courtesy of Pakistan.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Listeria most frequently causes short-term symptoms in healthy individuals, like fever, nausea, and abdominal pain, but is particularly dangerous to pregnant women.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malady. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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