ill afford
idiom
: to be unable to afford : to be unable to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
She bought a new car, which she could ill afford.
We can ill afford more bad publicity.
Examples of ill afford in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Dodgers can ill afford a repeat of last season, when Muncy was diagnosed with an oblique strain in mid-May, had numerous setbacks and was eventually found to have a displaced rib that was resolved with a chiropractic adjustment.
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Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
Investors fear Ishiba's administration will now be more beholden to opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending that the world's most indebted country can ill afford.
—John Geddie, USA Today, 21 July 2025
And a teacher earning under $60,000 can ill afford to hand over $400 a year for an organization that seems more concerned with rainbow banners than reading scores.
—Jeremy Gosnell, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2025
This dynamic was pointed to in the wake of a disappointing playoff exit last year and the Phillies can ill afford a similar fate now that their championship window seems in even more danger of closing.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill afford
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Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
Investors fear Ishiba's administration will now be more beholden to opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending that the world's most indebted country can ill afford.
—John Geddie, USA Today, 21 July 2025
And a teacher earning under $60,000 can ill afford to hand over $400 a year for an organization that seems more concerned with rainbow banners than reading scores.
—Jeremy Gosnell, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2025
This dynamic was pointed to in the wake of a disappointing playoff exit last year and the Phillies can ill afford a similar fate now that their championship window seems in even more danger of closing.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill afford
Cite this Entry
“Ill afford.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill%20afford. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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