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Symptom

/ˈsɪm(p)təm/ · noun

Meaning

(medicine) A perceived change in some function, sensation or appearance of a person that indicates a disease or disorder, such as fever, headache or rash; strictly, a symptom is felt or experienced by the patient, while a sign can be detected by an observer..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (medicine) A perceived change in some function, sensation or appearance of a person that indicates a disease or disorder, such as fever, headache or rash; strictly, a symptom is felt or experienced by the patient, while a sign can be detected by an observer.
  2. (figuratively) A signal; anything that indicates, or is characteristic of, the presence of something else, especially of something undesirable.

Example Sentences

The doctor told that his coughing and sneezing was the symptom of standing for too long in the rain.
Swollen breasts, morning sickness, and a missed period are classic symptoms of pregnancy.
Lying, hiding one's true feelings, and having affairs are typical symptoms of a doomed marriage.
"Nay, nay," exclaimed Lord Norbourne, "I cannot go quite so far as that. I have, thanks to your hospitality, laid in a stock of health enough for the ensuing winter: but as to the general benevolence of which you talk, I confess I find no symptoms: if I did, they would alarm me more than those of the gout."
Some people see birth outside of marriage as a social problem—a sign of a breakdown in the traditional family and a symptom of moral decay.

Synonyms for symptom

Antonyms for symptom

Related Words

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does symptom mean?

Symptom means (medicine) A perceived change in some function, sensation or appearance of a person that indicates a disease or disorder, such as fever, headache or rash; strictly, a symptom is felt or experienced by the patient, while a sign can be detected by an observer..

What is a synonym for symptom?

Common synonyms include indication, manifestation, sign, signal.

What is the opposite of symptom?

Possible antonyms include Treatment of symptoms versus treatment of cause.

How do you use symptom in a sentence?

The doctor told that his coughing and sneezing was the symptom of standing for too long in the rain.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.