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Synonyms

ill will

American  

noun

  1. hostile feeling; malevolence; enmity.

    to harbor ill will against someone.

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

ill will British  

noun

  1. hostile feeling; enmity; antagonism

"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

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.

See Examples For:

"I bear nobody any personal ill will, I'm not interested in that," Swinney said.

From BBC Jul. 22, 2026

“I don’t wish any ill will on them at all,” Rodgers said.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

That can trigger jealousy or ill will if one partner seeks to “beat” the other’s performance.

From MarketWatch Mar. 5, 2026

The ill will is chalked up to the idea that everybody hates a winner.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 25, 2026

Go on, girl, he whispered, as the student, facing her implacable ill will, sighed and wept.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

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