1
as in diseases
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in evils
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in misfortunes
bad luck or an example of this
the travelers merrily set off on their journey, scarcely imagining the ills that would befall them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ills
Faced with high rates of suicide and other ills such as addiction, corrections officers have long been concerned about the stress and violence of their jobs.
—
Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Reform’s pitch to voters is that, for many of these ills, mass immigration is to blame.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
During the 1980s, both tabloids pandered to the racial resentments and fears of white New Yorkers when covering all of the city’s ills.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Winning tends to cure a lot of ills, and the Hornets hit the road this week with two recent home victories to their credit.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
Despite so many errors, The Information is now the paper of record on the ills of Nvidia.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
There are people like myself who don’t agree with the extreme policies of both parties realizing that neither side has all the answers to solve the nation’s ills.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Reform’s pitch to voters is that, for many of these ills, mass immigration is to blame.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
During the 1980s, both tabloids pandered to the racial resentments and fears of white New Yorkers when covering all of the city’s ills.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Winning tends to cure a lot of ills, and the Hornets hit the road this week with two recent home victories to their credit.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
Despite so many errors, The Information is now the paper of record on the ills of Nvidia.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
There are people like myself who don’t agree with the extreme policies of both parties realizing that neither side has all the answers to solve the nation’s ills.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ills
Noun
-
But sulfate aerosol pollution is also a serious health hazard, blamed for about 8 million human deaths per year from lung diseases.—
Michael Wysession,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Timing for Fertilizing Roses Healthy repeat-blooming roses require nearly year-round feeding from early spring to fall to remain vigorous and resist diseases.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
During the Iran-Iraq War, the US actively supported Iraq as the lesser of two evils, fearing Iranian victory and hegemony in the Gulf.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Mar. 2026
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The horror film serves as a gory allegory for the evils that persisted in the South in the Jim Crow era in the late 19th century and onward.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The journey is hampered by lack of money and other misfortunes, and it’s eventually interrupted by a gunshot, announcing the cantankerous presence of Tiga.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The 33-year-old politician believes that the series illustrates a broader current issue, caused by the resurgence of public interest in the Kennedy clan and its misfortunes.—
Séraphine Roger,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The complaint states Geter Pinder suffers from severe emotional distress, anxiety, paranoia about her safety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other ailments.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The complaint states Geter Pinder suffers from severe emotional distress, anxiety, paranoia about her safety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments.—
Abby Dodge,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2020, a demand to redress historic wrongs grew following the murder of George Floyd and the national Black Lives Matter movement.—
Ara Rosenthal,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The arc of a wrongful-conviction story bends toward exoneration and release—a flawed but heartening correction of past wrongs.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In Greek tragedies, the hero is felled by a fatal flaw.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The ballets that dancers revere most and that companies rely on to fill theaters are mostly fairytales or Shakespearean tragedies about straight couples—Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet—in which the woman dies or is turned into a bird.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Diarrhea and other intestinal illnesses can cost owners $863 at the veterinarian each visit, according to Nationwide.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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Like other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, HMPV spreads and is more durable in colder temperatures, infectious-disease experts say.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.—
Austin Mock,
The Athletic,
19 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ills. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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