ill-natured

American  

[il-ney-cherd] / ˈɪlˈneɪ tʃərd /

adjective

1. having or showing an unkindly or unpleasant disposition.

   Synonyms:

   sour, gloomy, morose, sulky, petulant, cranky

   Antonyms:

   amiable, kindly

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ill-natured British  

adjective

1. naturally unpleasant and mean

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Related Words

See cross.

Other Word Forms

• ill-naturedly
  adverb
• ill-naturedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ill-natured

First recorded in 1625–35

Explanation

Someone who's ill-natured is cranky and disagreeable. Most fairy tales have at least one ill-natured antagonist, an evil stepmother or a ferocious ogre. Mean and nasty people are sometimes just plain ill-natured — it's not in their nature to be generous and cheerful. Your ill-natured cat probably scratches anyone who tries to pet her. Bad kitty. This unfriendly adjective combines ill-, "badly" or "not well," with natured, from nature and its "innate disposition" meaning. The Latin root is natura, "natural character or quality."