unwell

adjective

un·​well ˌən-ˈwel How to pronounce unwell (audio)
1
: being in poor health : ailing, sick
2
: undergoing menstruation

Examples of unwell in a Sentence

Miss Bennett, are you unwell? I am sorry she is feeling unwell.
Recent Examples on the Web By the end of his second term, Singh was 80 and unwell, so the task of running Congress’s campaign ahead of the 2014 general elections fell to the much younger Rahul Gandhi. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Officials said Navalny reported feeling unwell following a walk at the penal colony where he was jailed in Siberia before losing consciousness and dying. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2024 Key Background Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service announced Friday that Navalny started feeling unwell after a walk and subsequently lost consciousness. Ty Roush, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 While heirs in other royal families around the world sometimes act as regents when the monarch is unwell or abroad, the case is different in the U.K. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 Prison officials said Navalny, 47, went on a walk on Friday before feeling unwell. Greg Norman, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2024 Navalny, the 47-year-old fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died on Friday after becoming unwell on a walk at his prison and falling unconscious, according to the Russian prison service. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 Contra The Russian Prison Service has said Navalny felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness. James Farrell, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement that Navalny had died after feeling unwell following a walk Friday. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unwell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unwell was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near unwell

Cite this Entry

“Unwell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwell. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unwell

adjective
un·​well ˌən-ˈwel How to pronounce unwell (audio)
ˈən-
: being in poor health : ailing, sick

Medical Definition

unwell

adjective
un·​well -ˈwel How to pronounce unwell (audio)
: being in poor health : sick

More from Merriam-Webster on unwell

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