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
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
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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
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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
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2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
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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
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2
as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ill
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Reuters — The head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could be the worst ever, saying that currently tens of thousands of contacts of those ill with the disease had not been traced.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 16 June 2026
Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
This sideways prequel takes it back to the beginning, where these alien creatures terrorize a New York City ill-prepared to fight back.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Giant could have taken the same approach to Dahl as Dahl took to his own characters, clearly telegraphing the author’s ills and reducing him to them.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
Corporations are in on the fun, too, these days, for good or ill.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Reuters — The head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could be the worst ever, saying that currently tens of thousands of contacts of those ill with the disease had not been traced.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 16 June 2026
Adverb
Between see-through fabrics, ill-fitting straps, and awkward hemlines, there are plenty of misses.
—Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
This sideways prequel takes it back to the beginning, where these alien creatures terrorize a New York City ill-prepared to fight back.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Noun
Charli isn’t pretending the world’s ills are curable through a sweaty night dancing with friends.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Giant could have taken the same approach to Dahl as Dahl took to his own characters, clearly telegraphing the author’s ills and reducing him to them.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
If healthier people drop out of the risk pool, fewer people subsidize the people who get sick, Gidwani said.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Nara Organics issued the recall of all lots of Nara Organics Whole Milk Infant Formula after, according to the company recall notice, the FDA and CDC told the company about babies sick with infant botulism in California, Pennsylvania and Washington.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
But others say research in Australia has shown that age verification is difficult to enforce, and that a blanket ban seemed to be a snap decision that does not address a deeper problem — the way social media algorithms push harmful content to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
There were also die-offs of seals, sea lions and marine birds, Leising said, probably from a combination of a lack of food and harmful algal blooms, and less food out there for baleen whales.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
This fragmented model creates friction and quietly drains profitability through unbilled hours, margin erosion from poorly staffed projects and elevated turnover when top talent hits operational roadblocks.—
DJ Paoni,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These conditions can increase your vulnerability to adverse effects from poor air quality.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
-
Equating the Holocaust to Gaza is in extremely poor taste.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
-
Nothing sad or ominous to share this week.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
Few sites, however, became such frequent battlegrounds as the parking lots of Home Depots, where day laborers congregate, or were hit as persistently and severely as the open air car washes that dot sunny Southern California.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Adverb
-
And that rule no longer exists.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
This Program is no longer in existence.—
Sooji Nam,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
An investigation revealed that the horse was suffering from multiple diseases and was a decade older than his driver had initially reported, according to the organization.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Those who have been vaccinated or previously had measles are likely protected against the disease.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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