noun
malady
MAL-uh-dee
noun
1
A disease or illness, especially one that is chronic or deep-rooted.
"The doctors struggled to diagnose his rare malady."
"Years of poor diet had left her with a lingering malady."
2
A moral, social, or mental problem, used figuratively.
"Corruption is a malady that has infected the whole system."
How to Use Malady
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA formal word for an illness — often used figuratively for a deep-seated problem in a society or system.
When to use it
More literary and formal than "illness" or "disease."
Common pairings
a chronic malady
a social malady
suffer from a malady
Word Forms
maladies plural
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Etymology
From Old French maladie, "sickness," from malade, "sick," which traces back to Latin male habitus, literally "kept in a bad state."