ill will

noun

1. hostile feeling; malevolence; enmity.

   to harbor ill will against someone.

   Synonyms: unfriendliness, antipathy, animosity, hostility, hatred
   Antonyms: benevolence

ill will

noun

1. hostile feeling; enmity; antagonism

Other Word Forms

• ill-willed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ill will¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

Example Sentences

The homeless live on street corners and subway cars, and one never knows when someone who’s mentally ill will strike in violence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I love how the invocation sets a calm, cooperative, even loving tone at a time when too many civic gatherings in this country are torn by ill will, short tempers, sometimes violence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“We don’t wish any ill will or anything for her,” he said in a brief telephone interview.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The left did not hesitate to take to social media sending ill will the president’s way,” he said.

Read more on Salon

"I bear her no ill will. My prayer for her is that she uses her time in jail wisely to become a better person," he said, to gasps in the courtroom.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• acrimony 
• animosity 
• animus 
• antagonism 
• antipathy 
• bad blood 
• bitterness 
• enmity 
• envy 
• grudge 
• hate 
• hatred 
• hostility 
• loathing 
• malice 
• rancor 
• resentment