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
Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.
—
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
Pandora has opened her box and its ills are fully integrated into our world.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Held at the Abrons Arts Center, a core program within the Henry Street Settlement, Bittar created his vision of a Nineties-era beauty pageant in a commentary reflecting current-day societal ills, primarily aimed at the LGBTQ community, notably trans women and women in general.
—Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
In their assessments, desegregation and the passage of time have cured all of America’s racial ills.
—Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Macbeth, also an unstable Scottish king, blames the witches for the ills caused by his own murderous decisions.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
The Annunciation Church attack breaks a boundary - namely, that children should be spared from society's typical ills.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Among those who came to view his immigration proceedings on Tuesday, but not allowed in, were Haitian bloggers and activists who blame him for the country’s ills.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
For political operatives, the crafting of partisan redistricting maps is the miracle elixir that cures party ills and keeps politicians entrenched for generations.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
Pandora has opened her box and its ills are fully integrated into our world.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Held at the Abrons Arts Center, a core program within the Henry Street Settlement, Bittar created his vision of a Nineties-era beauty pageant in a commentary reflecting current-day societal ills, primarily aimed at the LGBTQ community, notably trans women and women in general.
—Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
In their assessments, desegregation and the passage of time have cured all of America’s racial ills.
—Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Macbeth, also an unstable Scottish king, blames the witches for the ills caused by his own murderous decisions.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
The Annunciation Church attack breaks a boundary - namely, that children should be spared from society's typical ills.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Among those who came to view his immigration proceedings on Tuesday, but not allowed in, were Haitian bloggers and activists who blame him for the country’s ills.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
For political operatives, the crafting of partisan redistricting maps is the miracle elixir that cures party ills and keeps politicians entrenched for generations.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ills
Noun
-
While many consider the mammal a nuisance for raiding garbage cans and damaging property, raccoons can also carry diseases, and they probably shouldn't be kept as housepets.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Consuming too many calories paves the way for obesity and related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But this is no case study in the evils of devil-worshipping musicians.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Republican leaders characterized their move to pass Evers' maps as the lesser of evils.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The party’s misfortunes appear even greater in the context of its landslide victory in July last year, which delivered it a sizable majority in parliament.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Mets aren't afraid to open their wallet for a chance to win, and with their pitching misfortunes lately, might go above and beyond to bring Valdez to the Big Apple.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For a more comprehensive mind-body tune-up, guests can opt for a multi-day Paths to Wellbeing program, which targets specific ailments, such as insomnia.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Aiyuk, who tore his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, isn't close to returning, and Pearsall and Jennings have what appear to be more minor ailments.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Winning another ring can wash away a lot of wrongs.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
But the most spectacular aspect of Nuestra Tierra may be its use of drone camerawork, and the way Martel uses the unsettling stillness of a drone as the eye of an impassive god, looking down at the wrongs carried out by those on the ground.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In response to recurring tragedies, the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act was signed into law in 2022.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The classical tragedies were drawn from Greek mythology and legend, right?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University, warned that removing vaccine requirements would leave children vulnerable to illnesses many parents no longer recognize.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The same goes for anyone with chronic illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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 6 Oct. 2025.
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