ill afford
idiom
: to be unable to afford : to be unable to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
She bought a new car, which she could ill afford.
We can ill afford more bad publicity.
Examples of ill afford in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Plying the country’s backroads, the charismatic con men of literature prey on the gullibility of the faithful with insincere pitches for an overpriced product their targets can ill afford.
—
Nolan Finley, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024
Since then, the cost of the vaccine for uninsured people has not been paid for by the government, but has been passed on to individuals, and many can ill afford it.
—Judy Stone, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Both could ill afford to antagonize Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
—Emile Hokayem, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2023
Jakobs can ill afford risking a disaster like this one again.
—Byphil Wahba, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill afford 
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Nolan Finley, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024
Since then, the cost of the vaccine for uninsured people has not been paid for by the government, but has been passed on to individuals, and many can ill afford it.
—Judy Stone, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Both could ill afford to antagonize Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
—Emile Hokayem, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2023
Jakobs can ill afford risking a disaster like this one again.
—Byphil Wahba, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill afford
Dictionary Entries Near ill afford
Cite this Entry
“Ill afford.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill%20afford. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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