1.
incurable disease; terminal illness
A disease or condition for which there is no known cure. A literary and somewhat formal expression.
不治の病にかかった。
He fell ill with an incurable disease.
かつて不治の病とされていた病気も、今は治療法がある。
Diseases once considered incurable now have treatments.
不治の病を宣告された彼は、残りの人生を大切に生きようと決意した。
Diagnosed with a terminal illness, he resolved to live the rest of his life to the fullest.
USAGE:
A literary and somewhat formal expression. In medical contexts, 難病 (intractable disease) is the more technical term. 不治の病 carries dramatic weight and appears frequently in literature, drama, and news stories.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 不治の病にかかる (to contract an incurable disease)
- 不治の病を宣告される (to be diagnosed with a terminal illness)
- 不治の病と闘う (to fight an incurable disease)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 難病: intractable disease — the medical/administrative term
- 末期の病: terminal illness — emphasizes the final stage