ill-advised

adjective

ill-ad·​vised ˌil-əd-ˈvīzd 

: resulting from or showing lack of wise and sufficient counsel or deliberation

an ill-advised decision

ill-advisedly

ˌil-əd-ˈvī-zəd-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of ill-advised

• inappropriate
• improper
• imprudent
• inadvisable
• injudicious
• unwise
• stupid
• careless
• indiscreet
• tactless
• indelicate
• undiplomatic

Examples of ill-advised in a Sentence

an ill-advised criticism of the boss at a company function

Recent Examples on the Web

That the university is prepared to sacrifice a vital cultural resource in order to save a relatively small amount of money strikes me — and others as singularly short-sighted and ill-advised. — Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Retiring from the national team seemed to be an option after that World Cup disappointment, but Ronaldo said he was urged to continue by the Portuguese soccer federation president – something which now looks incredibly ill-advised. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Mejia said the city had been ill-advised to agree to be the financial backstop, should the Games lose money. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Miss Manners does not consider this rude so much as ill-advised. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1593, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ill-advised

• acclimatized
• aerosolized
• alphabetized
• aluminized
• anaesthetized
• anesthetized
• annualized
• antagonized
• apologised
• apologized
• capitalised
• capitalized

Kids Definition

ill-advised

adjective

ill-ad·​vised

ˌil-əd-ˈvīzd

: showing bad advice or too little thinking ahead

an ill-advised decision

ill-advisedly

-ˈvī-zəd-lē

adverb