ill-being

noun

Definition of ill-beingnext
as in unhappiness

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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-being Their findings, some previously covered in Fortune, draw on a deep dataset spanning dozens of countries to confirm that ill-being is no longer hump-shaped in age — the young are now the most miserable cohort globally. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 July 2026 Based on a dataset covering 34 countries from 2020 to 2023 from Sapien Labs’ Global Mind Project, the authors showed that ill-being is currently at higher levels at younger ages—and the trend is not a hump shape—across these countries. — Deena Mousa, Scientific American, 12 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-being
  1. unhappiness
  2. sadness
  3. misery
  4. calamity
  5. wretchedness
  6. sorrow
Noun
  • There’s a lot of unhappiness everywhere, but … [traditionally,] America is supposed to be a happy country, and everyone wants to go there.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026
  • His remaining support is soft, while the unhappiness with him is intense.
    — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
Definition of unhappiness
Noun
  • The girls spend the day together — Laura has made an entire treasure hunt to celebrate Good Eagle’s birthday — and while there are moments of joy, there’s a lot of sadness weighing down on their tiny shoulders, too.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sadness over the recent deaths in the country’s south.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Not to be outdone, other tick species are also spreading out and causing more misery.
    — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Nobody, save biblical Job, has had more misery hurled at them.
    — Alex Pulaski, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • To say everything went wrong would be to undersell the scope of the calamity.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026
  • The operation was a testament to the growing effectiveness of a multinational collection of urban search-and-rescue squads — known as USAR — that have become ubiquitous life-savers at epicenters of calamity across the globe.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of calamity
Noun
  • As our cantankerous lead, Molina harumphs lovably from scene to scene, conveying both his character’s indomitable will and the wretchedness of his grief.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
  • Director Penny Lane interviews jazz critics who howl at his wretchedness, then balances it with fans who simply don’t care.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Definition of wretchedness
Noun
  • The clouds begin to part The clouds of grief and sorrow that had enveloped Gounder with the approach of the World Cup were dispersed by the bright orange sun of a New York Knicks championship, the team’s first in 53 years.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of sorrow

Browse Nearby Words

illaudable
ill-being
ill-beings
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-being.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-being. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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