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
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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
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
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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
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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
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2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
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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
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2
as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ill
Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 2 May 2025
More 100 children who consumed the contaminated lunch meals fell ill in the town of Mokama, CNN affiliate CNN News 18 reported.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
According to Telegraph India, among the people who were rescued, 13 fell ill and were taken to the hospital
At least 14 people have reportedly died after a hotel fire in India.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
Police had to transport the ill children to the hospital for treatment, according to the outlet.
Villagers in the area, who were angered by the reports of the children falling ill due to the free Mid-Day Meals, allegedly protested by blocking the road, the NHRC said.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 2 May 2025
More 100 children who consumed the contaminated lunch meals fell ill in the town of Mokama, CNN affiliate CNN News 18 reported.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Adverb
Though there were many cases of people falling ill.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
According to Telegraph India, among the people who were rescued, 13 fell ill and were taken to the hospital
At least 14 people have reportedly died after a hotel fire in India.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
From worrying about how much TV little kids can watch to what social media is doing to the mental health of teens, parenting has turned into a constant battle against the ills of the screen.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
Without the vaccine, these 22 million Americans could get sick, hospitalized and even die.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
William would put him in his place… but King Charles is weak, sick and detests confrontation, so Prince Andrew runs over him.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
Along the way, it is divulged that Saw has not been protecting himself with a gas mask from the harmful rhydonium fumes.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
-
These are among the many casualties of the Trump administration's decision to level a research agency that has devoted much of its energy over the past five decades to reducing people's exposure to harmful chemicals and other dangerous conditions in the workplace.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.—
Maggie Astor,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.—
Adam Taylor,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2024
Adjective
-
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.—
Brian Mahoney,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2025
-
Boston built big second-half leads on New York in both Games 1 and 2 at home, but squandered them due to uncharacteristically poor 3-point shooting.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2025
-
Back to battle once again for their lives and a giant cash prize, the wordless preview sees contestants facing a series of high-stakes situations, involving guns, fists and an ominous giant gumball machine.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Adverb
-
Each sunset experience is limited to a group no larger than eight, and includes a bottle of wine or Prosecco and a charcuterie board.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
8 May 2025
-
Everyone needs a hunting partner, no matter how ornery.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Besides being nuisances, many types carry diseases including West Nile virus, encephalitis, and canine heartworm.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
-
An Ohio music conductor is using deep brain stimulation to combat his Parkinson’s disease.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
The sadistic Lang, however, basks in such evil and partakes of it a little, too.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
-
Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it!—
Lynn Zovighian,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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