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Definition of malady

malady

/ˈmælədi/
mal · a · dy
Plural:maladies
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malady Lexical Profile

malady Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A disease, ailment, or chronic medical disorder affecting the body.

Example

"The physician struggled for months to diagnose the patient's mysterious malady."

2

A serious, deep-seated problem or unwholesome condition within a society, institution, or system.

Example

"Widespread apathy among voters is often viewed as a troubling malady of modern democracy."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for malady

• Nearby Words

maladapted
maladjusted
maladjustment
malady
malaga
malagarasi
malagasy giant hognose snake

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Old French 'maladie', from 'malade' (sick), which derives from Late Latin 'male habitus', literally meaning 'ill-kept' or 'in bad condition'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Malady. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/malady
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