病魔|びょうまbyouma[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. noundemon of ill health; disease

• Synonym病気びょうきNeutralThe most common everyday word for being ill; unlike 「病魔」, it carries no image of disease as a demon.
• Synonym疾患しっかんWrittenWritten medical term for a disease as a classified condition, as in 「心疾患」; no demon imagery.
• Synonym疾病しっぺいWrittenWritten term common in official documents and insurance; its scope includes injuries, so it is broader than 「病魔」.
• Synonym病患びょうかんWrittenRare written word for the state of being in poor health; it does not personify disease as 「病魔」 does.
• Synonym病やまいWrittenWritten native-Japanese word for illness, often in 「病に倒れる」; plainer than 「病魔」.
• Related所労しょろうWrittenArchaic written word covering illness and fatigue, typically in 「所労により」; rarely seen today.
• Related二豎にじゅWrittenRare written word meaning the same as 「病魔」; it comes from a classical allusion to disease as demons.
• Related不例ふれいWrittenHonorific written word for an esteemed person falling ill; 「病魔」 applies regardless of who is ill.
• Antonym健康けんこうNeutralThe everyday word for good health; the natural opposite of 「病魔」 preying on the body.

Use 「病魔」 for disease pictured as a demon, as in 「病魔に冒される」 or 「病魔と闘う」. For everyday illness say 「病気」; for medical or official contexts 「疾患」 and 「疾病」. 「病」 is a plainer literary word; 「病患」「所労」「二豎」「不例」 are rare written words.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 人ひとを病気びょうきにするものを悪魔あくまにたとえた語ご。「病魔びょうまにおかされる」