ill will
Americannoun
noun
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.
That can trigger jealousy or ill will if one partner seeks to “beat” the other’s performance.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
And Hoekstra has signaled that there is still an abundance of ill will.
From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025
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.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025
“We don’t wish any ill will or anything for her,” he said in a brief telephone interview.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025
Clancy’s posture relaxed, and when he touched me again, flicking my braid back over my shoulder, there was no ill will behind it.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
