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
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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
Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Last year, at a Las Vegas conference promising radical life extension, two women became critically ill after being injected with peptides the FDA had categorized as unsafe.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 3 Apr. 2026
Mark Sherman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026
This arrangement might seem ill-suited for lovemaking, but surprisingly, the male simply reached across the barrier and got busy.
—Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
The first New Mexico trial on the ills and dangers of social media platforms began in February after a nearly three-year probe by the state.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
The Pope usually takes the role of Jesus, carrying a wooden cross, but, last year, Francis, who was gravely ill, sent an aide in his stead.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Last year, at a Las Vegas conference promising radical life extension, two women became critically ill after being injected with peptides the FDA had categorized as unsafe.
—Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito fell ill at a Philadelphia event in March and was treated for dehydration, but required no overnight hospital stay.
—Mark Sherman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026
This arrangement might seem ill-suited for lovemaking, but surprisingly, the male simply reached across the barrier and got busy.
—Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
In his songs, the Virginia rapper renders societal ills in high definition.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
The first New Mexico trial on the ills and dangers of social media platforms began in February after a nearly three-year probe by the state.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
The vlogger Jordan Cheyenne, for one, wrecked her sharenting career by accidentally posting footage of herself coaching her son, who was distraught over the family’s sick puppy, to make a specific kind of sad face for YouTube.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
People without health insurance tend to seek less preventative treatment, become sick more frequently, and die younger than do people with insurance.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This week, California regulators are taking a critical look at one of the state’s most harmful laws.—
Tom Manzo,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Awareness, not alarm, is a powerful tool for families navigating online spaces where harmful language and intent are often hidden in plain sight.—
Sharlette A. Kellum,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 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
-
Arsenal were pretty poor but won, Sporting were pretty good but lost.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Ackman blamed its poor share price performance partly on the delay of UMG’s listing in the United States.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Notes The day got off to an ominous start when Cosmic Heat broke her left front leg entering the stretch in the first race and had to be euthanized.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In the midst of the conversion, a board member named Holden Karnofsky objected to it, arguing that the nonprofit was being severely undervalued.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Tehran now relies heavily on its Shahed drones, with its missile production and launch capacity severely diminished.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
To give your home a touch of her fun charm, look no further than this adorable wall art.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Look no further than the damage Blumenthal has done to the University of Connecticut’s desire to obtain Power Conference membership.—
Matthew Chudoba,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
For instance, there may be more car crashes, animal bites, property damage and zoonotic disease transmission.—
Daniel T. Blumstein,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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