ILL-ADVISED Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

ill-advised

adjective

ˌil-əd-ˈvīzd

Definition of ill-advised

as in inappropriate

showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations an ill-advised criticism of the boss at a company function

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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-advised More often than not, this leads to erroneous information (to be kind) and the formulation of strategies that are ill-advised. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 At age 33, there is reason to wonder if the season was simply a foreshadowing of Betts’ eventual decline, just as there was reason to wonder if his transition to shortstop was ill-advised. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026 Ament’s lawyers are now pushing to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he’d been ill-advised by his previous counsel. — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026 Plenty of unconventional solutions have sprung up as a result, from the ill-advised and frightening (please don’t scoop out your period) to the innocuous and accessible—like seed cycling, or, more recently, the period steak theory. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ill-advised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-advised

Adjective

Pat is a little bit like an inappropriate uncle at a family gathering in the 1970s.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Montana did not directly answer questions about the decision to choose BCBS over Allegiance and whether there was inappropriate contact among state officials.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

His brother, Eugene, who also reported the phone call as being improper, was elected to Congress in 2024 from Virginia.

— Caroline Linton, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Yet Jeanie’s attorney, Adam Streisand of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Law, argued in the letter sent to her siblings’ attorneys that two previous legal rulings render that strategy improper.

— Sam Amick, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of improper

Adjective

The itinerants were all a bit peculiar, capable of making imprudent choices.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
And this is Minsky’s point, that speculative excesses during euphoric, transformative periods result in imprudent financing, fragility, and instability.

— Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 4 June 2026

Definition of imprudent

Adjective

Let’s finish up by circling back to the beginning, when six injudicious justices ignored an eternal political truth.

— Gerald Scorse, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
And again, many of the reforms backfired or proved injudicious, but some of them remain powerful to this day.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

Definition of injudicious

Adjective

Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
There is a desire for Forest to play with more intensity and higher up the pitch, but the new staff recognise that asking for too much change too quickly would be unwise.

— Paul Taylor, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Definition of unwise

Adjective

The Dodge Durango Hellcat is the most accessible way to go stupid-fast in a three-row family car thanks to the Escalade V‘s high price tag.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
Proudly stupid and surprisingly sweet, Dylan Meyer’s stoner buddy comedy is a tribute to friendship best enjoyed with your own ride-or-die by your side — joints optional.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of stupid

Adjective

Two other teens were cited for careless driving and performing risky stunts in a retail parking lot.

— Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Jaynes pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage of more than $10,000 and a traffic violation of careless and prohibited driving.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 29 July 2026

Definition of careless

Browse Nearby Words

ill

ill-advised

ill at ease

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

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Synonyms of ill-advised

adjective

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