1.
to battle illness; to fight a disease; to struggle with a long illness
A set expression describing someone enduring a serious or prolonged illness. 病魔 personifies disease as a demon, so the phrase carries a sense of dignified struggle, especially in news reports and obituaries.
長く病魔と闘った。
He battled illness for a long time.
A formal set expression. 病魔 literally means "disease demon," personifying serious illness as an adversary.
Common collocations
- 長く病魔と闘う: to battle illness for a long time
- 病魔と闘い続ける: to keep fighting one's illness
- 病魔に倒れる: to fall to illness (the related contrast; lost the fight)
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Used in formal writing, news, and obituaries. In casual speech, people simply say 病気と闘う or 病気を治そうとする. The 闘う kanji (heavier than 戦う) emphasizes a hard, sustained struggle.