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definitions

ill

[il]
See more synonyms for ill on Thesaurus.com
adjective, worse, worst; ill·er, ill·est for 7.
  1. of unsound physical or mental health; unwell; sick: She felt ill, so her teacher sent her to the nurse.
  2. objectionable; unsatisfactory; poor; faulty: ill manners.
  3. hostile; unkindly: ill feeling.
  4. evil; wicked; bad: of ill repute.
  5. unfavorable; adverse: ill fortune.
  6. of inferior worth or ability; unskillful; inexpert: an ill example of scholarship.
  7. Slang. great; amazing: His mom is the illest cook.
noun
  1. an unfavorable opinion or statement: I can speak no ill of her.
  2. harm or injury: His remarks did much ill.
  3. trouble, distress, or misfortune: Many ills befell him.
  4. evil: to know the difference between good and ill.
  5. sickness or disease.
adverb
  1. in an ill manner.
  2. unsatisfactorily; poorly: It ill befits a man to betray old friends.
  3. in a hostile or unfriendly manner.
  4. unfavorably; unfortunately.
  5. with displeasure or offense.
  6. faultily; improperly.
  7. with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely: Buying a new car is an expense we can ill afford.
Idioms
  1. 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
Can be confusedill sick1 (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms for ill

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

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.

Antonyms for ill

1. well, healthy. 4. good.

Grammar note

See well1.

ill.

  1. illustrated.
  2. illustration.
  3. illustrator.
  4. most illustrious.

Origin of ill.

(def 4) < Latin illustrissimus

Ill.

  1. Illinois.

I'll

[ahyl]
  1. 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. 2018

Related Words for ill

woozy, diseased, infirm, ailing, afflicted, poorly, malady, illness, pain, ailment, sickness, abuse, misery, disease, evil, suffering, malaise, affliction, woe, trouble

Examples from the Web for ill

Contemporary Examples of ill

Historical Examples of ill

British Dictionary definitions for ill

ill

adjective worse or worst
  1. (usually postpositive) not in good health; sick
  2. characterized by or intending evil, harm, etc; hostileill deeds
  3. causing or resulting in pain, harm, adversity, etcill effects
  4. ascribing or imputing evil to something referred toill repute
  5. promising an unfavourable outcome; unpropitiousan ill omen
  6. harsh; lacking kindnessill will
  7. not up to an acceptable standard; faultyill manners
  8. ill at ease unable to relax; uncomfortable
noun
  1. evil or harmto wish a person ill
  2. a mild disease
  3. misfortune; trouble
adverb
  1. badlythe title ill befits him
  2. with difficulty; hardlyhe can ill afford the money
  3. not rightlyshe ill deserves such good fortune

Word Origin for ill

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

Ill.

abbreviation for
  1. Illinois

I'll

contraction of
  1. 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
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.

v.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ill in Medicine

ill

[ĭl]
adj.
  1. Not healthy; sick.
  2. Not normal, as a condition; unsound.
n.
  1. A disease or illness, especially of animals.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.