Definition of illnext
1
as in sick
affected with nausea she grew ill from the constant rocking motion of the boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in poor
falling short of a standard such ill behavior will not be tolerated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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ill

2 of 3

adverb

ill

3 of 3

noun

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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
Adjective
The man told investigators his child also became ill in September 2025 and had to be hospitalized. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026 Tyree Gaines, 28, pleaded guilty, but mentally ill Friday to voluntary manslaughter, a Level 2 felony. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Restrictions on shipping through key global trade routes are stoking concerns of a coming worldwide food-price shock, with poor countries particularly ill prepared. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026 That evening, the household, with the exception of Lizzie, fell ill again after eating mutton stew. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
All the police will find is a crowd sitting in silent vigil and a bottle of olive oil for anointing the ill. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026 Blaming billionaire wealth-hoarding for America’s ills would poll very well among the nation’s anthropology departments. — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
  • Compiling and sharing data from large races can also help event organizers assess whether changes like earlier start times or alternate dates help reduce the number of people who get sick or hurt.
    — STAT, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Add a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, a loss, a lawsuit, a sick parent or a partner who travels, and the inventory stops being theoretical.
    — Simbiat Adighije, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Neon plans a 2027 theatrical release under the Creative Commons license for the open-source horror film based on a fictional secretive organization that keeps supernatural items and other harmful entities away from the public.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Executives from six major AI companies signed a one-page document pledging to monitor their models and prevent harmful uses such as hacking.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
    — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Hong Kong — Days before Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi was killed, her father-in-law and brother-in-law allegedly went on an ominous shopping spree.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And Jeremy is the handsome cipher, the seemingly long-suffering dreamboat of a husband who may or may not be harboring more ominous intentions.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Black adults develop hypertension earlier and more severely than white adults; Latino communities face similar risks and barriers to diagnosis.
    — Garth Walker, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Two years after releasing that song, in 1982, Joel was involved in a motorcycle crash that severely damaged his hand.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Adverb
  • Ask about medication to prevent HIV, which should be started as soon as possible and no later than 72 hours, and about emergency contraception.
    — Jennifer Obel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • On Thursday, Abdy and De Luca were waiting to learn their fate, which was to be revealed no later than closing day, Tuesday, October 6.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Instead, the defense sought to persuade the jury that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse was not criminally responsible because of mental disease, a rare condition called postpartum psychosis.
    — MICHAEL CASEY, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The growing range of treatment options marks a shift from seeking a cure to focusing on avoiding the disease entirely.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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