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 Sheriff’s Department typically houses mentally ill prisoners at the Twin Towers, but Magaña’s family claims he was not transferred to a specialized unit within the jail that deals with more challenging cases. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 John had become seriously ill with a liver disease, and the couple had relocated to Koh Samui to seek out a special herb that grew here. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Given people’s inexplicably territorial feelings about leftovers, your announcement was bound to be ill-received. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 Also, while most thin, plastic cases from competitors exhibit ill-fitting sections or flex, the Basecase feels tougher. — Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
In this framework, the cure for the party’s ills can only come from inside the party, not from any external force. — Andrew Mertha, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026 But unlike Transcription or George Saunders’s Vigil, the year’s other novel about a rich old man on his way to the underworld, this book doesn’t try to diagnose our collective ills. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 7 Sep. 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
  • The goats’ dire situation first came to light when a former dairy employee raised concerns after witnessing emaciated and sick animals on the property, the former employee told the Idaho Statesman last year.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
  • What’s interesting is that Conan Doyle got sick of writing Sherlock Holmes.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Local government and outside groups have long strived to ban the popular tourist attraction that critics argue is harmful to horses’ well-being.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Waters are becoming cloudier overall, while harmful algal blooms — measured through chlorophyll a levels — are trending in the wrong direction, the report found.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 Oct. 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
  • Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • As evening descends on Paris, there are ominous signs for what lies ahead tonight.
    — Elina Baudier Kim, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Once storms roll through, things will change with temperatures falling for the afternoon, light rain and drizzle around, and cloudy ominous skies.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adverb
  • The movie offered a sly critique of Korea’s rapid urbanization, and introduced the wayward types (bar girls, severely disabled men) that would populate all of Lee’s films.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The wars severely tarnished the United States’ global reputation and left a generation of Americans skeptical that the country could be a force for good in the world.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of severely
Adverb
  • In that regard, Reed was no different from anyone else who has tried and failed to solve the Wembanyama conundrum.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If looking for a single reason the Dodgers didn’t three-peat, look no further than the guy who led them to their two-peat.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of no
Noun
  • The first is to dramatically accelerate the pace of basic science, and the second is to accelerate curing disease and extending health span.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • DeVeydt added that costs for inpatient services and pharmacy, particularly costly specialty pharmacy drugs for cancer and rare diseases, remain elevated.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 13 Oct. 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 19 Oct. 2026.

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