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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ills
The expectations, the hope is so high for that prescription to be the salve for their ills.
—
Torie Bosch, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.
—Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
Even as professional coders are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about the power of AI coding tools, many end users still see them as a boogeyman to instantly blame for any and all observed ills in the tech industry.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2026
In their absence, the three remaining candidates pounded on a wide array of municipal ills, including broken sidewalks, high rents and sluggish housing production.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
In his songs, the Virginia rapper renders societal ills in high definition.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
The first New Mexico trial on the ills and dangers of social media platforms began in February after a nearly three-year probe by the state.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
And Pearl, while making his team’s case Thursday, unwittingly did a fine job of spelling out the ills of expansion as well.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Hollywood has always been an easy political punching bag–a convenient scapegoat for a host of intractable ills.
—Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Torie Bosch, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.
—Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
Even as professional coders are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about the power of AI coding tools, many end users still see them as a boogeyman to instantly blame for any and all observed ills in the tech industry.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2026
In their absence, the three remaining candidates pounded on a wide array of municipal ills, including broken sidewalks, high rents and sluggish housing production.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
In his songs, the Virginia rapper renders societal ills in high definition.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
The first New Mexico trial on the ills and dangers of social media platforms began in February after a nearly three-year probe by the state.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2026
And Pearl, while making his team’s case Thursday, unwittingly did a fine job of spelling out the ills of expansion as well.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Hollywood has always been an easy political punching bag–a convenient scapegoat for a host of intractable ills.
—Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ills
Noun
-
Snakes help control rodent and insect populations, reducing the spread of diseases like Lyme disease.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Instead of a withering blast that annihilates you instantly, the real killer would be a highly elevated risk of cancer and degenerative diseases over time.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
And for Michael Kosta, who made the best argument for alternative energy this Earth Day, getting Ryan to riff on the evils of crypto was a true get.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Still, the state is often seen as the lesser of two evils when compared to a neighbor like Florida.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Valkyries are going into Sunday’s home opener against Phoenix with injuries to Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini – both nursing ailments from Friday’s game – and guard Justė Jocytė still fulfilling her overseas commitment before joining the team.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
-
The Hornets were down to seven healthy players for the final stretch of games, including Williams with an assortment of ailments.—
Joe Davidson
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
As a result of the courage and determination of Tribune journalists, our public and government were given the opportunity to address wrongs.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Conversely, these wrongs may very well cause some Americans to lose faith in our political system altogether.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Recent horrific tragedies have demonstrated the urgent need to improve Cook County’s process for enforcing warrants, too.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Less known, and more uncomfortable, is how some Democrats tend to go silent on the role that demonization from the left can play in these tragedies too.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What illnesses are currently trending in Boise?—
Hali Smith
May 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 May 2026
-
According to Mitchell, the San Marcos Police Department is investigating the students’ illnesses, and the staff member who sold the cookies to students was removed from the district.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
8 May 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 May. 2026.
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