ill will

noun

: unfriendly feeling

Choose the Right Synonym for ill will

malice, malevolence, ill will, spite, malignity, spleen, grudge mean the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress.

malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer.

felt no malice toward their former enemies

malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct.

a look of dark malevolence

ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration.

ill will provoked by a careless remark

spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments.

petty insults inspired by spite

malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness.

a life consumed by motiveless malignity

spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice.

venting his spleen against politicians

grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction.

never one to harbor a grudge

Examples of ill will in a Sentence

We bear no ill will toward each other.

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite their split, there was no ill will between the Yankees slugger and actress. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024

Indeed, sharing North America with these two friendly neighbors that don’t harbor ill will has provided the U.S. a luxury that no other continental power has enjoyed in modern history. —Andrés Martinez, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024

There is no room named for Ringo Starr, who replaced Pete as drummer in 1962, but the Best brothers say this omission didn’t stem from any ill will toward the drummer. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024

Despite the ill will, all the factions within the regime engage in self-control, recognizing that a breakdown in political order could bring about the end of the Islamic Republic altogether. —Alex Vatanka, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ill will

noun

: unfriendly feeling