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 Time will tell what these partners are able to do with regard to safety, but releasing it to the general public would certainly have been ill-advised and dangerous. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for ill-advised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-advised

Adjective

From the seasonally inappropriate hot springs of Beitou to the glossy, souvenir-flogging halls of Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, the plot of this coming-of-age story doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable realities of traveling abroad.

— Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Within minutes, the profile received follow requests, inappropriate direct messages and lewd video calls from adult men.

— Titania Jordan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

Miller has also been charged for the improper display or possession of the plates of another vehicle in Kansas City’s Municipal Court.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Troopers are also on the lookout for unsafe lane changes, tailgating and improper passing.

— Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 7 Sep. 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

The state could also use the money for another environmental purpose if dredging is deemed inadvisable — or for further dredging study if necessary.

— Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026
Many people, even those considerably older, posted things on social media that in hindsight were inadvisable.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of inadvisable

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

But in a season with so much on the line, the Jets would be unwise to have Klubnik be the first player off the bench if Smith were to suffer an injury.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of unwise

Adjective

Video games are one of the world’s most dominant storytelling mediums, yet the writing is often dismissed — not always unfairly — as melodramatic, overly serious and occasionally very stupid.

— Gene Park, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
Bonnell The enthusiast’s approach Bonnell’s team uses matters because electric motorcycles have an annoying tendency to make power delivery either spectacularly good or spectacularly stupid.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of stupid

Adjective

Fabian Hurzeler’s side have been a little careless too, with no team making more errors leading to a shot than their five (including Lavia’s goal at the weekend).

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The golfer, who changed his plea in the DUI case from not guilty to no contest, had one charge amended to Local 1 reckless driving and a second charge altered to a careless driving citation as part of a plea deal, according to court records.

— Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of careless

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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 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill-advised

adjective

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