malady

IPA/ˈmælədi/
KK[mˈælədi]IPA/ˈmælədi/

malady — noun

  • maladysingular
  • maladiesplural

1. an illness or unhealthy condition affecting the body or mind, especially one des

1.名詞B2
釋義

an illness or unhealthy condition affecting the body or mind, especially one described in formal language

例句

After weeks of chest pain, Nellie learned the malady was pneumonia.

formal noun for an illness

Doctors treated the skin malady before it spread to Christopher's hands.

collocation: skin malady

同義詞
  • illness

    the most general and neutral word for being ill

  • disease

    more medical and often used for a named condition

  • ailment

    often suggests a milder or nagging health problem

  • condition

    broader and often used for ongoing health states

反義詞
  • health

    the state of being physically or mentally well

  • wellness

    a positive state of good health

文法句型

a chronic/skin + malady

suffer from a malady

cure a malady

用法筆記

Usually more formal than everyday words such as 'illness' or 'sickness'. It often appears in writing about a named disease or a continuing health problem rather than a brief minor complaint.

常見錯誤

❌I had a malady for two hours and then I felt fine.
✅I felt sick for two hours and then I felt fine.
💡'malady' sounds too formal and heavy for a short everyday problem.
❌The office computer has a malady.
✅The office computer has a fault.
💡this sense is for illness in a body or mind, not a machine problem.

2. a serious weakness or unhealthy condition in a society, organization, or system

2.名詞C1
釋義

a serious weakness or unhealthy condition in a society, organization, or system

例句

Many teachers saw overcrowded classrooms as a malady in the school system.

malady in + system

The mayor called youth unemployment the city's most damaging social malady.

collocation: social malady

同義詞
  • problem

    broader and more neutral, without the formal unhealthy metaphor

  • dysfunction

    focuses on a system that is not working properly

  • ill

    formal and often used for a harmful feature in society

  • weakness

    can be less severe and does not always suggest moral or structural harm

反義詞
  • strength

    a healthy or effective quality in a system or group

  • stability

    a steady, well-functioning condition rather than disorder

文法句型

a social/national + malady

malady in + system

cure + society's malady

用法筆記

Often used in formal writing about social, political, or institutional troubles. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes something unhealthy in a group or system, not a person's body.

常見錯誤

❌The printer's paper jam is a malady in the office.
✅The office's blame culture is a malady in the company.
💡use this sense for deep human or institutional problems, not a small practical fault.
❌Her cough is a social malady.
✅Corruption is a social malady.
💡this sense is about wider systems or communities, not one person's illness.