WordValesymptom
a sign of illness experienced by the patient
In more detail
1. (noun) a sign or indication that you have an illness or disease
2. (noun) a sign that something bad or unwanted exists or is developing
Examples
- 1. Fever and cough are common symptoms of a cold.
- 2. Rising unemployment is a symptom of economic trouble.
How to use symptom
Symptom refers to an observable sign or indication, typically of illness or disease in medical contexts, or more broadly of an underlying problem or condition. It differs from disease itself (the underlying condition) and diagnosis (the identification of the condition). The term is also used figuratively to describe signs that something undesirable is present or emerging in non-medical contexts.
Common phrases
- show symptoms
- display symptoms
- experience symptoms
- symptom of
- early symptoms
- common symptoms
Synonyms
sign · indication · manifestation · signal · marker
Word family
symptomatic · asymptomatic · symptomatically
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse symptom with disease itself; a symptom is what you experience or observe (like fever), while the disease is the underlying condition causing it (like influenza).
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