ill-naturedly

adverb

as in ungraciously

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-naturedly
  1. insensitively
  2. unkindly
  3. cruelly
  4. ill
  5. ruthlessly
  6. mercilessly
  7. diabolically
  8. pitilessly
Adverb
  • Residents were treated carelessly, disrespectfully, insensitively.
    — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • In this volatile environment, comments that appear to minimize or frame the shooting insensitively—like Matt Gutman's—can quickly become career-ending.
    — Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of insensitively
Adverb
  • Yet, since the post went up, some people have unkindly critiqued her cheeks, nose, chin and complexion, while others wonder what the fuss is all about.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Tabloids and magazines regularly reported on the state of the relationship, often unkindly.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of unkindly
Adverb
  • In the penalty shootout, Verbruggen seemed to have saved from Rahimi again — only to see the ball cruelly creep in off his back.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Christian Pulisic even had a goal cruelly wiped out by the offside flag.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of cruelly
Adverb
  • Today, there are European governments discouraging AC use, power grids ill-equipped to absorb new cooling demand, and a growing tension between climate goals and adaptation needs.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • The joke, at first, was how ill-suited for the gig Friedland was on paper.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
Definition of ill
Adverb
  • Underdog sides have generally attempted to build up methodically with the ball, but any lapses of concentration have been ruthlessly punished by attackers who press hard and counter-attack quickly.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Leaders must immediately audit burn rate, freeze nonessential spend, tighten inventory cycles and reforecast ruthlessly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of ruthlessly
Adverb
  • All Harris needed was a 10-men England side to hold on as El Tri mercilessly delivered crosses into the box.
    — Fisher Isbell, AJC.com, 7 July 2026
  • It’s been blistering in New York City, with temperatures registering in the high 90s on successive days, then climbing to 100 degrees Thursday and mercilessly extending into the Fourth of July.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
Definition of mercilessly
Adverb
  • Dumpings can happen by elimination, by public vote—every week or so, viewers can choose their favorite islanders or pick who a new bombshell should pair up with—or, more diabolically, by the other islanders’ selection.
    — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
  • That’s par for the course in a facility where all of the nurses are angels (Fisayo Akinade’s diabolically endearing Nurse Angel in particular), and nobody else seems to be sick.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025
Definition of diabolically
Adverb
  • The first hour, set at a resort that’s like a singles cruise through the Twilight Zone (or Bachelor in Paradise beamed in from a brutal alternate universe), contains some of the most pitilessly funny scenes of the filmmaker’s career.
    — A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of pitilessly
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-natured
ill-naturedly
illness
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-naturedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-naturedly. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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