ill 1 of 3

adjective

ˈil How to pronounce ill (audio)
Definition of illnext
1
as in sick
affected with nausea she grew ill from the constant rocking motion of the boat

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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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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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ill

2 of 3

adverb

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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ill

3 of 3

noun

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ill
Adjective
By the end of August 2020, more than 2,200 prisoners and 270 staff members at San Quentin had fallen ill. — Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025 Italian media reported that the Dear Diary and The Son’s Room filmmaker had fallen ill in the afternoon and been taken to Rome’s San Camillo Hospital, where he was operated on immediately. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Co-leader Chris Difford has apparently taken ill, although the less Squeeze-attentive parts of the audience may not have noticed, since primary lead singer Glenn Tilbrook is holding down the fort quite effectively. — Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025 In the current measles epidemic in Texas, the vast majority of people falling ill are unvaccinated. — Daniel Pastula, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
The 88-year-old pontiff has been recovering from double pneumonia and other ills. — John Bacon, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025 Musk’s actions have been cheered by many conservatives, who have long accused the federal government of being a breeding ground of sloth and incompetence, where the nation’s ills originate. — Mike Lillis, The Hill, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
  1. sick
  2. harmful
  3. poorly
  4. poor
  5. ominous
  6. no
  7. disease
  8. evil
Adjective
  • His mother was still sick, and Mr. Sancho-Persad started working as her caregiver in the morning for $18.75 an hour, paid through Medicaid, while still driving his cab at night.
    — Jonah Markowitz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Listen to this article Unvaccinated people who visited Denver Health’s emergency department on Sunday should monitor themselves for signs of measles after a sick child received care there.
    — Meg Wingerter, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Shiny and minty, these balms provide a gloss-like effect while protecting your lips from the sun’s harmful rays.
    — Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The debate over the law centers on balancing accountability for harmful content with the risks of censorship and stifled innovation.
    — Daryl Lim, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • 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
  • Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies?
    — BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
Definition of poorly
Adjective
  • In fact, the massive, albeit picturesque, gullies were made because of poor farming practices during the 1800s.
    — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Each site has a different interface, often poor or glitchy.
    — Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Greg's ominous dinner party, Zion's return, and Rick's face-off with his father's killer.
    — Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The propulsive sometimes ominous orchestral music score from Sharon Farber stresses the points being made.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of ominous
Adverb
  • Your outlook for 2025: To keep moving forward, on and on, no matter what.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Unlike thong sandals or mules, these project a more sophisticated appearance, perfect for elevating any outfit, no matter how simple.
    — Renata Joffre, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of no
Noun
  • The Harmattan facilitates the spread of diseases, such as influenza.
    — Christophe Lavaysse, JSTOR Daily, 17 Apr. 2025
  • However, in the U.S., the CDC has concluded there is no evidence that pesticides are effective in preventing these diseases and does not recommend this practice.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of disease
Noun
  • Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, celebrates the beginning of spring and the the triumph of good over evil.
    — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Valentin looking evil as hell in his green collar :) Chelsea’s bright yellow caftan is so hopeful and so sad, somehow.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of evil

Phrases Containing ill

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ilks
ill
ill-advised
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Cite this Entry

“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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