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
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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
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Recent Examples of ill
Ariana Hendrix, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
While some lucky people never feel ill, that queasiness can be pretty debilitating for many others—more so in the first trimester, but occasionally throughout the entire pregnancy.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
While John is overjoyed to see his free-spirited cousin, who drove her carriage from Scotland after her coachman fell ill, Francesca appears noticeably shaken by Michaela’s unexpected visit.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
This is not at all to claim that young babies in Norway never contract RSV, or that keeping them at home longer is a guarantee against them catching it or becoming severely ill.
—Ariana Hendrix, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
While some lucky people never feel ill, that queasiness can be pretty debilitating for many others—more so in the first trimester, but occasionally throughout the entire pregnancy.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Adverb
The conduct of those two agents, from the earliest moments interacting with demonstrators up through their decision to pull weapons and fire at Pretti, illustrate the dangers of flooding American cities with officers ill-equipped to deal with protesters in urban environments, experts told CNN.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
While John is overjoyed to see his free-spirited cousin, who drove her carriage from Scotland after her coachman fell ill, Francesca appears noticeably shaken by Michaela’s unexpected visit.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
As a result of her work with AMRs, Wise avoids framing humanoids as some sort of industrial panacea for every economic ill, from labor shortages to manufacturing bottlenecks.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
And the American health care system isn't set up to help people get through it, Mauldin outlines in the book, by way of inaccessible health care, lack of caregiver supports, expensive treatments and an overall de-valuing of sick people and those with disabilities.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In January 2025, a hospital in West Texas began reporting that children were coming in sick with measles.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In order to rule in her favor, jurors will have to parse the harmful actions of fellow users — including her high school bullies and adult men sending her unsolicited nudes — from design decisions made by the companies themselves.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Many of these jars contain unknown or poorly documented chemical mixtures that could be toxic to humans or harmful to the specimens themselves if disturbed.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This fragmented model creates friction and quietly drains profitability through unbilled hours, margin erosion from poorly staffed projects and elevated turnover when top talent hits operational roadblocks.—
DJ Paoni,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But for now, his parting words were ominous.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The ominous silence is more evidence of a city mired in political intrigue with too little transparency.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Herb said the industry plans for an average winter, not a mild or a severely cold one.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Otherwise, utility crews will be forced to prune it severely for safety’s sake.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
However, no argument, no matter how well-crafted, can ever turn fiction into fact.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
-
His effort level was all that mattered — no matter the result.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding had been allocated to disease control programs in all four states, though California Atty.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The disease begins with the formation of benign polyps in the body's large intestine, also known as the colon.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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