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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of ill
Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Among 2,614 guests aboard the line’s Rotterdam ship, 107 reported being ill during its current voyage, along with a dozen crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Elevated to the starting lineup after center Kristaps Porzingis fell ill shortly before tipoff, the affable 7-footer scored 14 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting; grabbed 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards; and blocked three shots.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 24 Jan. 2025
The same impulse eventually drove Gandhi from power in 1977 and in the long run opened the door to the victory of India’s current prime minister, Narendra Modi, who portrays himself as a political outsider with a mandate to cure the ills of a diseased democracy.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ill 
Adjective
As a gesture, King Abdullah said his country was ready to take in 2,000 ill children from Gaza.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Among 2,614 guests aboard the line’s Rotterdam ship, 107 reported being ill during its current voyage, along with a dozen crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Adverb
But after his father fell ill, Mr. Rameshwaran dropped out of school to support his family in Carfax Estate in Dickoya, a tea-growing region east of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.
—Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Elevated to the starting lineup after center Kristaps Porzingis fell ill shortly before tipoff, the affable 7-footer scored 14 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting; grabbed 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards; and blocked three shots.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
If your laptop audio just isn't cutting it for Zoom meetings, investing in a headset can cure your ills.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 24 Jan. 2025
The same impulse eventually drove Gandhi from power in 1977 and in the long run opened the door to the victory of India’s current prime minister, Narendra Modi, who portrays himself as a political outsider with a mandate to cure the ills of a diseased democracy.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
And in one case, a person got it from handling sick and or dead birds in a backyard flock.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Dairy farmers with infected herds reported large die-offs of wild birds near their farms before their cows got sick, according to the USDA.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.—
Kelly Tyko,
Axios,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Many invasive species end up in U.S. ecosystems when people release aquarium pets that are harmful to native species.—
Kate Linderman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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Cosgrove, a rookie revelation in 2023, is looking to bounce back after a poor 2024 season.—
Dennis Lin,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
-
But shortly after its release, AT&T dropped the device’s price down to just $0.99 in what was an unmistakable sign of poor sales – and perhaps an indication that consumers didn’t want more Facebook on their phone other than in its app.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There’s the ominous sense that the monkeys lurking around the resort might just be the same ones wielding swords in the frescoes.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Those recall notices referred to a permanent solution without specifying what that might be—something that could be read as ominous or hopeful.—
Eric Bangeman,
Ars Technica,
14 Feb. 2025
Adverb
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Just more proof that serious collectors will make a run at their dream cars no matter what the financial climate may be like.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Forecasts have to take the changing climate into account to be accurate, no matter who is creating the forecast.—
Christine Wiedinmyer,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Leukemia, a disease of the blood and bone marrow, disrupts the body's ability to produce normal blood cells.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
16 Feb. 2025
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Show creator Samantha Strauss said the character of Lucy was important to depict what a lot of people feel when fighting a disease: not listened to, not in control and not acknowledged as a full person.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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More specifically, the two gatekeepers are tasked with preventing whatever evil lurks at the bottom of the ravine from getting out into the world.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Feb. 2025
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Prosecutors had depicted the ladies on death row—some of whom had been judged guilty of killing their own children—as embodiments of evil.—
Daniel Zalewski,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ill
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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