diseased
Suffering from illness
Diseased describes something affected by disease—abnormal, unhealthy, corrupted by illness.
A diseased organ has pathology; a diseased tree is dying from infection.
The word extends to minds and societies: a diseased imagination, a diseased political system.
Unlike "sick," which can be temporary, diseased suggests something fundamentally wrong, often progressive or chronic.
Seriously affected by adversity
- ailingIn poor health
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- debilitatedMade weak or infirm
- impairedWeakened in function
infirm · unwell · compromised · enfeebled · weakened · incapacitated · bedridden · invalid
Made impure or dishonest
- taintedContaminated, made impure
- rottenDecomposed or corrupt
- sickUnwell or impressively cool
- unhealthyHarmful to wellbeing
toxic · dysfunctional · decaying · festering · poisoned · blighted · degenerate · unsound
Study of disease processes
- morbidUnhealthily drawn to darkness
- malignantHarmfully invasive, often fatal
- necroticOf dying tissue
- lesionArea of pathological change
abnormality · dysfunction · degeneration · atrophy · inflammation · ulcerated · gangrenous · septic
Invaded by pathogens
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- fungusSpore-bearing organism
parasite · microbe · germ · sepsis · abscess · pus · inflammation · fever
Plant disease causing decay
canker · gall · scab · mosaic · necrosis · fungal · infestation · pestilence
Able to spread disease
- communicableCapable of being spread
- transmissibleAble to spread between individuals
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- spreadingExtending over space
viral · bacterial · airborne · epidemic · pandemic · endemic · outbreak · quarantine
stricken
Seriously affected by adversity
- ailingIn poor health
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- debilitatedMade weak or infirm
impaired · infirm · unwell · compromised · enfeebled · weakened · incapacitated · bedridden · invalid · symptomatic
corrupted
Made impure or dishonest
unhealthy · toxic · dysfunctional · decaying · festering · poisoned · blighted · degenerate · unsound · warped
pathology
Study of disease processes
lesion · abnormality · dysfunction · degeneration · atrophy · inflammation · ulcerated · gangrenous · septic · festering
infected
Invaded by pathogens
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
fungus · parasite · microbe · germ · sepsis · abscess · pus · inflammation · fever · antibody
blight
Plant disease causing decay
rust · canker · gall · scab · mosaic · necrosis · fungal · infestation · pestilence · withered
infectious
Able to spread disease
- communicableCapable of being spread
- transmissibleAble to spread between individuals
- contagionDisease spread by contact
spreading · viral · bacterial · airborne · epidemic · pandemic · endemic · outbreak · quarantine · isolation
- sicknesssick, ill, unwell, ailing, infected
- bone traitsdense, brittle, porous, hollow, thick
- plant conditionshealthy, wilted, dormant, flowering, blooming
- invalidsinvalid, invalids, infirm, bedridden, incapacitated
- plant statesblooming, wilting, budding, withering, dying
- tissue stateshealthy, inflamed, necrotic, viable, nonviable
- heart diseaseMalfunction of blood-pumping organ
- social diseaseInfection spread through intimacy
- degenerative diseasesConditions causing gradual deterioration
- disease outbreakRapid spread of illness
- gum diseaseInfection of mouth tissue
- mad cow diseaseFatal bovine neurological disorder