ill afford
idiom
: to be unable to afford : to be unable to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
She bought a new car, which she could ill afford.
We can ill afford more bad publicity.
Examples of ill afford in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Great Recession made Rockford ground zero for underwater mortgages, draining wealth from a city that could ill afford it.
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The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Short of a miracle, the truck will remain a striking, high-profile disaster at a time when Tesla could ill afford it.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
The Rockies can ill afford to miss with pitchers given the reluctance to spend on premium free agents and inability to convince reclamation projects to take their money.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2025
With fears of tariffs bringing about a potential recession and the stock market tanking, Trump can ill afford another setback with voters.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill afford
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The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Short of a miracle, the truck will remain a striking, high-profile disaster at a time when Tesla could ill afford it.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
The Rockies can ill afford to miss with pitchers given the reluctance to spend on premium free agents and inability to convince reclamation projects to take their money.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2025
With fears of tariffs bringing about a potential recession and the stock market tanking, Trump can ill afford another setback with voters.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill afford
Cite this Entry
“Ill afford.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill%20afford. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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