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 Words From

• ill-willed [il, -, wild], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ill will¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

Example Sentences

The contempt only goes one way, but these are divisive times and I have no ill will.

From The Daily Beast

Speaking to Vogue, Mottley described the decision as “accepting responsibility for who we are,” rather than any ill will toward the royal family.

From Ozy

One of the most common examples of this ill will is a flood-damaged vehicle listed for sale as a clean used car by the most unscrupulous of individuals.

From Popular-Science

Taghi previously made a public statement asserting that he bore de Vries no ill will, and the reporter had refused offers of security from the Dutch government.

From The Daily Beast

When Laila publicly descends into madness after her child is stillborn, the Melancons acquire a baby of their own under hazy circumstances, adding to the ill will.

From Time

The Marshals were inclined to attribute their disgrace to the ill-will of Berthier and not to the temper of Napoleon.

From Project Gutenberg

This statement does not cover suffering caused to the wrong-doer by natural acts of mine which do not proceed from ill-will.

From Project Gutenberg

It may not, therefore, hurt the person of any wrong-doer, or bear any ill-will to him and so cause him mental suffering.

From Project Gutenberg

Their avoidance of each other arose, perhaps, from a sort of instinct which was certainly no matter of ill-will.

From Project Gutenberg

However, I will make use of his council, and take some course to prevent having the single ill-will of the office.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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