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
Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 21 May 2025
One received a 21-month jail term and the other was freed after his sentence was reduced because of ill health and time already served in custody.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily’s founder, is still fighting national security charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
According to Telegraph India, among the people who were rescued, 13 fell ill and were taken to the hospital
At least 14 people have reportedly died after a hotel fire in India.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
The personhood provision also limits medical decision-making, particularly in devastating cases involving severely ill or brain-dead pregnant women, like Smith.
—Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 21 May 2025
One received a 21-month jail term and the other was freed after his sentence was reduced because of ill health and time already served in custody.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily’s founder, is still fighting national security charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Adverb
Though there were many cases of people falling ill.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
According to Telegraph India, among the people who were rescued, 13 fell ill and were taken to the hospital
At least 14 people have reportedly died after a hotel fire in India.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
From worrying about how much TV little kids can watch to what social media is doing to the mental health of teens, parenting has turned into a constant battle against the ills of the screen.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
This is a vital step not just for those currently facing a terminal diagnosis, but for the many Californians who aren’t sick now but may be someday.—
Christie Golemb,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
-
Parents might use those days to stay home with a sick child, while others might use a non-work day to help a family member in need or take a pet to the vet.—
Lieke ten Brummelhuis,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Located in the stratosphere, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, blocking potentially harmful ultraviolet energy from reaching our planet's surface.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
-
Customers confirm the quality, softness, and longevity of this pick, made from 100% cotton and Oeko-Tex certified to be free of a range of harmful chemicals.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
19 May 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 product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
-
The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a shift in the second to last episode when Michaela suddenly becomes not ridiculous or ominous, but self-aware and human and someone who very clearly sees what a fraud her life has been.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
-
In a small 18th-century English village, locals hear ominous barking.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adverb
-
Vendors that can only operate in isolation—no matter how good their specific application—will risk becoming redundant.—
Amber Nigam,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
-
Though Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom today, the treaty secured the main goal of the 1798 rebellion: equal rights and self-determination for all citizens, no matter their religion.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
The fungal disease does not spread from person to person, according to the CDC.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
This field includes liquid biopsy, referring to techniques that process bodily fluids such as blood, urine, and saliva for different disease biomarkers.—
Cat Wang,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Nature, light, darkness, mundane rituals, violence, ambiguity, and evil, in such forms as death, tribalism, and xenophobia.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
-
Two Prosecutors follows in that tradition, being a very slow and very talky chamber piece that could be the most terrifying comedy that Aki Kaurismäki never made, or a Chaplin-esque horror film about the evils of bureaucracy in a world ruled by morons.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share