1
2
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
one of the ill effects of winter weather is the rapid spread of germs as people spend more time together indoors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poorly
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
since I'm ill, I guess that I'll just have to miss that dental appointment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
the abrupt breakdown of negotiations appears to be an ill omen for this ongoing hostage situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
in those days society treated debtors very ill, even going so far as to put them in prison
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
chicken pox and the other ills that were once a fixture of childhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
the travelers merrily set off on their journey, scarcely imagining the ills that would befall them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ill
Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Among 2,614 guests aboard the line’s Rotterdam ship, 107 reported being ill during its current voyage, along with a dozen crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Elevated to the starting lineup after center Kristaps Porzingis fell ill shortly before tipoff, the affable 7-footer scored 14 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting; grabbed 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards; and blocked three shots.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2025
Perspective and home truths As far as Howe was concerned, there was no looming crisis after Brentford and no panacea for his team’s ills.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Adjective
As a gesture, King Abdullah said his country was ready to take in 2,000 ill children from Gaza.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Among 2,614 guests aboard the line’s Rotterdam ship, 107 reported being ill during its current voyage, along with a dozen crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Adverb
But after his father fell ill, Mr. Rameshwaran dropped out of school to support his family in Carfax Estate in Dickoya, a tea-growing region east of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.
—Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Elevated to the starting lineup after center Kristaps Porzingis fell ill shortly before tipoff, the affable 7-footer scored 14 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting; grabbed 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards; and blocked three shots.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
Although extreme weather was responsible for France’s ills, heavy rains in California fortunately fell before and after the grape-growing season, and America was spared of any severe wine country wildfire events.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2025
Perspective and home truths As far as Howe was concerned, there was no looming crisis after Brentford and no panacea for his team’s ills.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
-
Gazans cheer, blast music as Hamas conducts sick parade of hostages Hamas paraded Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert in front of a cheering crowd Saturday, before releasing them after more than 500 days in captivity.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
22 Feb. 2025
-
One family has a sick child who could be heard crying in the background during a call between Herischi and Panamanian officials.—
Yong Xiong, Michael Rios, CNN and Ivonne Valdés,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Organic farms use natural farming methods to keep the soil, water, and environment free from potentially harmful chemicals.7 Similarities Grass-fed and organic foods share a commitment to natural farming.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD,
Health,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Studies have shown that testers can harbor harmful bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of styes and other infections), E. coli, yeast, and mold.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.—
Adam Taylor,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2024
-
Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies?—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
27 Mar. 2021
Adjective
-
Cosgrove, a rookie revelation in 2023, is looking to bounce back after a poor 2024 season.—
Dennis Lin,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
-
But shortly after its release, AT&T dropped the device’s price down to just $0.99 in what was an unmistakable sign of poor sales – and perhaps an indication that consumers didn’t want more Facebook on their phone other than in its app.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s the ominous sense that the monkeys lurking around the resort might just be the same ones wielding swords in the frescoes.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Those recall notices referred to a permanent solution without specifying what that might be—something that could be read as ominous or hopeful.—
Eric Bangeman,
Ars Technica,
14 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
The shooting is also the end of a saga that offers a glimpse into the limitations of a system dependent on people’s cooperation and consent for mental health treatment and family intervention, no matter how urgently that help is needed. .—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Countries threatened by China’s rise have to invest in security measures no matter what happens in and around Taiwan.—
Jennifer Kavanagh,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc., can carry bugs or disease that can impact our agriculture.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects 1% of the population.1 People with celiac used to die from their condition before the gluten-free diet diet was discovered.2 Gluten intolerance is more common, affecting up to 13% of the population.—
Sarah Bence,
Health,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Determined to rid their house of evil, Malcolm turns to unconventional ghost hunters, priests and psychics, leading to a series of increasingly absurd attempts to exorcise the demon.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
-
One of the lessons Albus and Scorpius learn along the way is the difficulty in distinguishing by appearance good from evil.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share