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Synonyms

ill will

American  

noun

  1. hostile feeling; malevolence; enmity.

    to harbor ill will against someone.
    Synonyms:
    unfriendliness, antipathy, animosity, hostility, hatred
    Antonyms:
    benevolence
ill will British  

noun

  1. hostile feeling; enmity; antagonism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word 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.

Ill will, said Rehnquist, isn’t enough to recover damages here.

From Slate • Mar. 21, 2019

Ill will was especially strong between Sparta and Athens.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

Ill will be carried out by a brigade of 5,000 Viet Nam Veterans Against the War.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ill will between Nancy Reagan and Stepdaughter Maureen extended well into the first term.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ill will do I owe this king of yours and all who hold lealty to him.

From In the Court of King Arthur by Lowe, Samuel E. (Samuel Edward)

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.