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ill 1 of 3

adjective

ˈil How to pronounce ill (audio)
Definition of illnext
1
as in sick
affected with nausea she grew ill from the constant rocking motion of the boat

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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

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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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ill

2 of 3

adverb

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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ill

3 of 3

noun

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 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 suit was filed in the wake of a massive scandal in which three jail deputies beat and killed Michael Tyree, a mentally ill inmate being held in the Main Jail on minor charges. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 The woman was said to be mentally ill and emotionally disturbed. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Last year, the offense was aimless, punchless and ill-suited for Gio Lopez’s skill set. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 And so in facing the same electoral choices as last time, Nigerians are limited to the same set of ideas ill-suited against worsening problems. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
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 Last month, Kwon’s team, in collaboration with Seongju Kim at Hanbat National University, in Daejeon, South Korea, presented its solution to HBM’s future ills. — IEEE Spectrum, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
  1. sick
  2. harmful
  3. poorly
  4. poor
  5. ominous
  6. severely
  7. no
  8. disease
Adjective
  • During the ride, Normandin-Parker's friend became sick and vomited in the car.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Humans should not touch or approach a dead or sick deer, and household animals should be kept away from carcasses, the center advises.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Unresolved issues run the gamut, from antitrust protections to chip export controls to whether existing consumer laws are sufficient to protect people from harmful AI.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • For example, California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed multiple AI bills into law, including Adam's Law, which requires AI chatbot makers to protect minors from harmful interactions.
    — Lora Kolodny,Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of harmful
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
Definition of poorly
Adjective
  • Renovation will only yield temporary improvement unless the original cause of a poor-quality lawn is remedied.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The consequences of a poor performance in the takeaway department sets a very high standard for rookies, something that can only bode well for the future.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Adding to the ominous vibes is the news that nobody at Slough House is getting paid — and, moreover, all matters related to its operation appear to have been scrubbed from the Park database.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Whether that’s an ominous sign for the Republican Party in the midterm elections is an open question.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adverb
  • The consequences of the economic crisis, migration, unemployment and diminishing access to education can sometimes be felt even more severely in smaller towns than in major cities.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Homes from south Orange County to Malibu were flooded and severely damaged.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • Big emotional movies are always going to motivate people to cast a vote; look no further than Hamnet winning People’s Choice last year.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Johnson has largely opted to keep the details of her past relationships private, and her present situation is no different.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of no
Noun
  • The layer plays a vital role in absorbing the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which can cause diseases such as skin cancer.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Introducing a fish foreign to the region could bring diseases into the water.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of disease

Phrases Containing ill

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ilks
ill
ill-advised
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Cite this Entry

“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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