1
2
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
one of the ill effects of winter weather is the rapid spread of germs as people spend more time together indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poorly
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
since I'm ill, I guess that I'll just have to miss that dental appointment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
the abrupt breakdown of negotiations appears to be an ill omen for this ongoing hostage situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
in those days society treated debtors very ill, even going so far as to put them in prison
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
chicken pox and the other ills that were once a fixture of childhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
the travelers merrily set off on their journey, scarcely imagining the ills that would befall them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ill
John Samuels, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
But the amount of rain is only one factor in how many people will become severely ill with West Nile, said Dr. Daniel Pastula, chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 3 July 2025
Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The zoo announced the cub died on April 4 after unexpectedly and suddenly falling ill.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Christina Smith, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2025
In the early 1900s, journalism, the muckrakers, became highly influential, raising awareness about many social ills, including child labor, unsafe working conditions and unsanitary food processing.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
Compounding the crisis: only 85 PCPs exist per 100,000 Americans, a ratio woefully inadequate for an aging, chronically ill population.
—John Samuels, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
But the amount of rain is only one factor in how many people will become severely ill with West Nile, said Dr. Daniel Pastula, chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 3 July 2025
Adverb
Being away from other kids for so long left them ill equipped for the most basic interactions.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The zoo announced the cub died on April 4 after unexpectedly and suddenly falling ill.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
Many of the societal ills described by RFK Jr. in his public statements — and this report — are indeed concerning.
—Christina Smith, Baltimore Sun, 9 June 2025
In the early 1900s, journalism, the muckrakers, became highly influential, raising awareness about many social ills, including child labor, unsafe working conditions and unsanitary food processing.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
Kids get hurt and get sick, like anyone else; every year, a few in the practice battle life-threatening illness, often cancer.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Mission Viejo raced to the title while playing without wide receiver Vance Spafford (sick), cornerback Jeron Jones (fractured wrist), safeties Sawyer Thomson (knee) and Zachary Foeldi (knee) and wide receiver Max Markofski (hip).—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
Antisocial Anger Some teenagers express their anger through harmful behaviors such as threatening others, vandalism, skipping school or using drugs.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Independent testing confirms that the supplement contains the ingredients listed on the label and is free from harmful contaminants.—
Kirstyn Hill,
Health,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.—
Maggie Astor,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.—
Adam Taylor,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2024
Adjective
-
The day before the Apollo 11 moon launch on 16 July 1969, Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a march of poor Black families, complete with wagons drawn by mules, to the fence of Cape Kennedy in Florida.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
-
But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 July 2025
-
The signs in Iran are ominous—and the pleas from Iranian Jewish elders may now go unheard.—
Roya Hakakian,
The Atlantic,
10 July 2025
Adverb
-
Roger Stanford saw those challenges during his time as vice president of instruction at Chippewa Valley Technical College, where students had to pay around $5,000 up front for truck driving training, no matter their income.—
Natalie Yahr,
jsonline.com,
19 July 2025
-
That tiny mark is the base for every design, no matter how complex.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
Sitting or standing on the plate for just a few minutes can help with lymphatic drainage, in return reducing swelling, boosting the immune system, and lessening the chance of disease.—
Kristin Auble,
Vogue,
10 July 2025
-
Vaccination Rates Are Declining Despite the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and the potential severity of the disease, vaccination rates are declining.—
Dave Wessner,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
After a discussion about an individual’s spiritual battle between good and evil, campers then used cardboard and tape to make armor, and pool noodles for swords.—
Paul Bersebach,
Oc Register,
12 July 2025
-
The sense of evil has nothing cosmic or metaphysical about it; there’s no grandeur and no wonder to Gunn’s universe and, although there’s much discussion of the defining quality of one’s actions and choices, the film’s superheroes seem thin, constrained, and undefined.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share