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
Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Perimenopausal women are not ill and can live perfectly full and vivacious lives while hormones do their daily dance in the background.
—Patricia Bencivenga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Season 3 opens in 2023, with actors and writers on strike and Valerie taking an ill-suited role as Roxie Hart on Broadway to pass the time.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
For Bomm, who was a dialysis nurse helping critically ill patients for more than 30 years, working with living donors like Andrea is particularly fulfilling.
—Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Perimenopausal women are not ill and can live perfectly full and vivacious lives while hormones do their daily dance in the background.
—Patricia Bencivenga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
Similarly, DeSantis told Hannity his previous bid for president wasn’t bad, just ill timed.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Season 3 opens in 2023, with actors and writers on strike and Valerie taking an ill-suited role as Roxie Hart on Broadway to pass the time.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Reform’s pitch to voters is that, for many of these ills, mass immigration is to blame.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, many began calling in sick or quitting entirely.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The same jury acquitted Lopez of more than a dozen other charges and hung on five counts of sending harmful material to a minor.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
While the video amused viewers, experts warn that repeatedly hitting the snooze button can be harmful.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 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
-
Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The city of Plano scores restaurants on a 100-point system, with 100 considered a perfect score and 70 extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Those citing such ominous scenarios envisioned other possible dangers, including the debilitation of America’s security guarantees to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf oil exporters.—
Paul Blustein,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Certain signs, such as the recent decree by the municipal authorities of Damascus confining the sale of alcohol to Christian neighborhoods, are ominous.—
Alvaro Vargas Llosa,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Israel's Ben Gurion airport has been operating on a severely limited basis throughout the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The study examined the high cost across different family structures, highlighting that rising living expenses have severely squeezed the traditional middle-class budget.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
That information is due back no later than May.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
They were outscored 13-1 by the New York Yankees in a three-game sweep, becoming the 11th team to score no more than one run over the initial three games of a season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Burning coal produces fine particles that lodge deep in the lungs and bloodstream, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease, according to the World Health Organization.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Houry points to recent public health threats caused by vaccine preventable diseases, on which Kennedy has not given the typical response of promoting vaccines.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
