ill will
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ill will
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That can trigger jealousy or ill will if one partner seeks to “beat” the other’s performance.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
The ill will is chalked up to the idea that everybody hates a winner.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
And Hoekstra has signaled that there is still an abundance of ill will.
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
Feltwell said he holds no ill will toward the so-called Phillies Karen who ended up with the home run ball.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025
Witch hysteria was spurred by overzealous clerics and simple factors such as envy and ill will among neighbors, but the trials were very real.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
