foot-in-mouth disease
A tendency to make remarks that are embarrassingly wrong or inappropriate.
They attempt to straddle all issues and, consequently, when a slip occurs, the result is foot-in-mouth disease.
ADJ
common | obscure, rare | chronic | acute | degenerative
terminal
Her grandfather was diagnosed with a terminal disease last year, but he remained remarkably positive.
curable | preventable | communicable, contagious, infectious | non-communicable | congenital, hereditary, inherited
childhood
My daughter caught measles, a common childhood disease, when she was five years old.
tropical | insect-borne, water-borne | occupational | bowel, (coronary) heart, liver, etc. | mental
sexually transmitted, social, venereal
A new campaign aims to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in young adults.
circulatory, respiratory | Alzheimer's, Crohn's, etc.
QUANT
outbreak
The hospital was prepared for any outbreak of infectious disease during the winter months.
VERB + DISEASE
have, suffer from
My grandmother suffered from heart disease for many years before she passed away.
catch, contract, get
My grandfather contracted diabetes in his sixties and had to change his diet completely.
die from/of
Many people died from heart disease before modern medicine became available.
the risk of disease
People who exercise regularly can reduce the risk of disease in later life.
the spread of (a) disease
The government announced new policies to control the spread of disease in crowded urban areas.
the symptoms of a disease, the treatment for/of a disease > Special page at ILLNESS
Doctors discovered early treatment for the disease improved the patient's chances of recovery.
cause
Smoking causes serious lung disease in many people around the world.
carry, pass on, spread, transmit
Mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases to people living in tropical regions.
diagnose | treat
combat, fight
Doctors around the world are working together to combat the spread of this serious disease.
control, manage
Doctors are working hard to manage the disease and prevent it from spreading to other communities.
cure
prevent
Washing your hands regularly can help prevent disease in your family.
eradicate, stamp out, wipe out
Scientists hope to stamp out malaria in Africa within the next decade.
DISEASE + VERB
spread
The flu spread quickly through the school last winter.
afflict sb, strike sb
kill sb
Malaria kills thousands of children in Africa every year.
PREP
with a/the ~
My grandmother struggled with heart disease for many years before she passed away.
~ of
My grandmother was diagnosed with a disease of the bones that made her joints very painful.
PHRASES
a cure for a disease, the incidence of (a) disease
Scientists are trying to find a cure for the disease that affects millions of people.
a patient with/sufferer from a disease
My grandmother is a patient with heart disease, so she takes medication every day.
resistance to disease