ill

[il]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ill ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, worse, worst; ill·er, ill·est for 7.

of unsound physical or mental health; unwell; sick: She felt ill, so her teacher sent her to the nurse.

objectionable; unsatisfactory; poor; faulty: ill manners.

hostile; unkindly: ill feeling.

evil; wicked; bad: of ill repute.

unfavorable; adverse: ill fortune.

of inferior worth or ability; unskillful; inexpert: an ill example of scholarship.

Slang. great; amazing: His mom is the illest cook.

noun

an unfavorable opinion or statement: I can speak no ill of her.

harm or injury: His remarks did much ill.

trouble, distress, or misfortune: Many ills befell him.

evil: to know the difference between good and ill.

sickness or disease.

adverb

in an ill manner.

unsatisfactorily; poorly: It ill befits a man to betray old friends.

in a hostile or unfriendly manner.

unfavorably; unfortunately.

with displeasure or offense.

faultily; improperly.

with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely: Buying a new car is an expense we can ill afford.

Nearby words

Idioms

ill at ease, socially uncomfortable; nervous: They were ill at ease because they didn't speak the language.

Origin of ill

1150–1200; Middle English ill(e) (noun and adj.) < Old Norse illr (adj.) ill, bad

SYNONYMS FOR ill

1. unhealthy, ailing, diseased, afflicted. 4. wrong, iniquitous. 9. hurt, pain, affliction, misery. 10. calamity. 11. depravity. 12. illness, affliction. 14. badly.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ill ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR ill

1. well, healthy. 4. good.

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Can be confusedill sick¹ (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonym study

1. Ill, sick mean being in bad health, not being well. Ill is the more formal word. In the U.S. the two words are used practically interchangeably except that sick is always used when the word modifies the following noun: He looks sick ( ill ); a sick person. In England, sick is not interchangeable with ill, but usually has the connotation of nauseous: She got sick and threw up. sick, however, is used before nouns just as in the U.S.: a sick man. 4. See bad¹.

Grammar note

See well¹.

ill.

illustrated.

illustration.

illustrator.

most illustrious.

Origin of ill.

(def 4) < Latin illustrissimus

Ill.

Illinois.

I'll

[ahyl]

contraction of I will.

Can be confusedaisle I'll isle

Usage note

See contraction.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ill

They had rarely seen their own fathers carry small children unless their mothers were ill.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
David Prowse, the actor who portrayed Darth Vader, wished to come back but had to turn down the role because of ill health.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The more I become dissipated, ill, a broken pitcher, the more I too become a creative artist in that great revival of art.
Decoding Vincent Van Gogh’s Tempestuous, Fragile Mind|Nick Mafi|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was way too ill to visit the set and all that, but was very curious about the film.
Idris Elba on Eric Garner, ‘Mi Mandela,’ and Selling Weed to Dave Chappelle|Marlow Stern|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

One of the last great rascal pols, Marion Barry left his mark—for good and ill—on Washington, D.C., and the country.
Despite Crack and Graft, D.C. Loved ‘Hizzoner’ Marion Barry|Lloyd Grove|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was driven to take refuge in a miserable little place, where I fared as ill as possible.
Sketches in Canada, and rambles among the red men|Anna Brownell Jameson
She was so ill that it was impossible for them to consider in how far she was to blame for what had happened.
War and Peace|Leo Tolstoy
A consultation then takes place, and they may think that the word is "ill."
My Book of Indoor Games|Clarence Squareman
Then there were long strings of neutral days when you did not think well of life, or ill of it.
Steel|Charles Rumford Walker
And it might so easily have been the other way—Emil who was ill and Amedee who was sad!
O Pioneers!|Willa Cather

British Dictionary definitions for ill

ill

adjective worse or worst

(usually postpositive) not in good health; sick

characterized by or intending evil, harm, etc; hostileill deeds

causing or resulting in pain, harm, adversity, etcill effects

ascribing or imputing evil to something referred toill repute

promising an unfavourable outcome; unpropitiousan ill omen

harsh; lacking kindnessill will

not up to an acceptable standard; faultyill manners

ill at ease unable to relax; uncomfortable

noun

evil or harmto wish a person ill

a mild disease

misfortune; trouble

adverb

badlythe title ill befits him

with difficulty; hardlyhe can ill afford the money

not rightlyshe ill deserves such good fortune

Word Origin for ill

C11 (in the sense: evil): from Old Norse illr bad

Ill.

abbreviation for

Illinois

I'll

contraction of

I will or I shall

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

Word Origin and History for ill

ill

adj.

c.1200, "morally evil" (other 13c. senses were "malevolent, hurtful, unfortunate, difficult"), from Old Norse illr "ill, bad," of unknown origin. Not related to evil. Main modern sense of "sick, unhealthy, unwell" is first recorded mid-15c., probably related to Old Norse idiom "it is bad to me." Slang inverted sense of "very good, cool" is 1980s. As a noun, "something evil," from mid-13c.

ill

early 13c., "to do evil to," from ill (adj.). Meaing "to speak disparagingly" is from 1520s. Related: Illed; illing.

adv.

c.1200, "wickedly; with hostility;" see ill (adj.). Meaning "not well, poorly" is from c.1300. It generally has not shifted to the realm of physical sickess, as the adjective has done. Ill-fated recorded from 1710; ill-informed from 1824; ill-tempered from c.1600; ill-starred from c.1600. Generally contrasted with well, hence the useful, but now obsolete or obscure illcome (1570s), illfare (c.1300), and illth.

Medicine definitions for ill

ill

[ĭl]

adj.

Not healthy; sick.

Not normal, as a condition; unsound.

n.

A disease or illness, especially of animals.

Idioms and Phrases with ill

ill

In addition to the idioms beginning with ill

ill at ease
ill wind that blows no one any good, it's an

, also see under

get sick

ill

adjective, worse, worst; ill·er, ill·est for 7.

noun

adverb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of ill

Synonym study

Grammar note

ill.

Origin of ill.

Ill.

I'll

Usage note

Examples from the Web for ill

ill

adjective worse or worst

noun

adverb

Word Origin for ill

Ill.

abbreviation for

I'll

contraction of

ill

ill

ill

adj.

n.

ill