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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
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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
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
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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
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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
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2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
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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
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2
as in evil
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of ill
Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
In 2023 and 2024, more than 100 people fell ill from salmonella linked to raw milk from Raw Farm, the same California company now at the center of raw milk recalls for bird flu.
—Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 24 Nov. 2024
So ill, in fact, that Claire is unable to find a pulse.
—Amy Wilkinson, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024
Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 20 Nov. 2024
The party spent the last four years demonizing men and blaming us for all of society’s ills.
—J. Marcos Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill 
Adjective
Here are the most common misconceptions: People who seek mental health treatment are weak, mentally ill or crazy.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
In 2023 and 2024, more than 100 people fell ill from salmonella linked to raw milk from Raw Farm, the same California company now at the center of raw milk recalls for bird flu.
—Rick Barrett, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
Adverb
Tala falls ill and dies at the end of Moana, but she’s set to return in the sequel in the form of a manta ray spirit.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 24 Nov. 2024
So ill, in fact, that Claire is unable to find a pulse.
—Amy Wilkinson, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
Public schools will never be in a position to cure all of society’s ills.
—Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 20 Nov. 2024
The party spent the last four years demonizing men and blaming us for all of society’s ills.
—J. Marcos Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
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By Weiland’s estimates, up to 300,000 people in the U.S. are currently getting sick with COVID-19 each day, compared to around 1 million cases per day around this time in recent years.Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
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The agency said Wednesday that the person was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks; this is the first US bird flu case linked to a backyard flock.Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Targeting children with a harmful product and lying about its safety violates the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, said Skrmetti.Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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Although the kidneys should flush any harmful products out of the system, large quantities can be damaging, and could even lead to kidney failure.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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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
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His role comes a year after a poor performance in his Madison Square Garden debut just eight games into his NBA career: 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and a block.Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Dec. 2024
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Visibility was poor because of the long shadows of winter morning.James Parker, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Wall Street Journal: The GOP spending rebellion is an ominous sign for Trump’s all-Republican government.Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024
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One moment, Hoult’s walking along a dirt road in the dark toward the ominous moonlit castle of Count Orlok.Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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The firm will no doubt advocate for the company to reduce its needlessly high SG&A expenses and right-size executive compensation to reflect business performance.Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2024
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Squid Game season 2 is coming on December 26, however, and that will rule the list well through the new year, no doubt. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This represents an increase of 630 million individuals since 1990, with 14% of the global population with the disease.Omer Awan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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There's no evidence the disease is spreading directly between cougars, but the deaths of two unrelated animals in the same area within a short time raises concerns about how widespread the virus may already be.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The show felt joyously anarchic and kind of evil at the same time.Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 Dec. 2024
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As the film’s wealthy Pennsylvania industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren, Pearce creates a psychologically penetrating portrait of a man who is by turns generous and predatory, inquisitive and closed off, someone who ultimately reveals himself to be capable of true evil.Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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