terminally ill
Death is imminent
Terminally ill describes someone with a disease or condition expected to cause death, typically within months.
The term appears in medical and legal contexts—hospice care, end-of-life decisions, right-to-die laws.
She was diagnosed as terminally ill last spring.
A terminal illness is one from which recovery is not expected.
Terminal illness comfort program
- comfort careSymptom relief, not cure
- end-of-lifeNearing death phase
- final daysConcluding period
- last ritesSacrament for the dying
deathbed · dying · mortality · farewell · bereavement · advance directive · DNR · do not resuscitate
Cannot be healed
- metastaticHaving spread from origin
- prognosisPredicted disease course
- life expectancyAverage anticipated survival duration
- cancerUncontrolled cell proliferation disease
malignant · aggressive · degenerative · progressive · untreatable · debilitating · deteriorating · nonresponsive
Offering relief, not remedy
- pain reliefEasing of discomfort
- supportive careMedical comfort without cure
- nursing careHealth support from nurses
- home careAssistance provided at residence
respite care · caregiver · holistic care · spiritual support · emotional support · quality of life · compassionate care · dignity
Consent to receive
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
- fearEmotional response to threat
- hopeDesire for good outcomes
despair · courage · resilience · meaning-making · legacy · gratitude · anxiety · depression
hospice
Terminal illness comfort program
- comfort careSymptom relief, not cure
- end-of-lifeNearing death phase
- final daysConcluding period
last rites · deathbed · dying · mortality · farewell · bereavement · advance directive · DNR · do not resuscitate · living will
incurable
Cannot be healed
- metastaticHaving spread from origin
- prognosisPredicted disease course
- life expectancyAverage anticipated survival duration
cancer · malignant · aggressive · degenerative · progressive · untreatable · debilitating · deteriorating · nonresponsive · symptomatic
palliative
Offering relief, not remedy
- pain reliefEasing of discomfort
- supportive careMedical comfort without cure
- nursing careHealth support from nurses
home care · respite care · caregiver · holistic care · spiritual support · emotional support · quality of life · compassionate care · dignity · bedside
acceptance
Consent to receive
hope · despair · courage · resilience · meaning-making · legacy · gratitude · anxiety · depression · coping
- populationspatients, inpatients, outpatients, elderly patients, stroke patients
- states of beingalive, dead, living, existing, conscious
- Vulnerable Groupshomeless youth, orphans, refugees, disabled people, elderly poor
- invalidsinvalid, invalids, infirm, bedridden, incapacitated
- patientspatient, inpatients, inpatient, outpatients, outpatient
- Disabilitiesblind, paralysis, vision loss, developmental disability, hearing impairment
terminally illcured
Restored to health
recovering · on the mend · getting better · convalescing · curable
terminally illhealthy
In good physical condition
fit as a fiddle · hale and hearty · well · healthy as a horse · in the pink
illness, terminal, determination, terminate, termination, exterminate, terminated, interminable, extermination