1
a
comparative also iller; superlative also illest
(1)
: not in good health
also
: nauseated
(2)
: not normal or sound
ill health
b
: causing suffering or distress
ill weather
2
: unfriendly, hostile
ill feeling
3
4
5
a
: not meeting an accepted standard
ill manners
b
archaic
: notably unskillful or inefficient
worse; worst
1
3
a
: so as to reflect unfavorably
spoke ill of the neighbors
b
: with displeasure or hostility
c
: in a harsh manner
4
: in a reprehensible manner
illustrated; illustration; illustrator
Illinois
Synonyms
Adjective
Adverb
Noun
Examples of ill in a Sentence
Adjective
That dog can eat almost anything with no ill effects.
They had been subjected to months of ill treatment.
Adverb
He is being ill served by his advisers.
Please don't think ill of me.
He was a good man who never spoke ill of anyone.
Noun
chicken pox and the other ills that were once a fixture of childhood
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Morse, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024
There were 12,000-plus people inside the campus basketball arena on Saturday and, before the event started, local law enforcement halted entry to the event because people were becoming ill while waiting outside in 109-degree heat to go through security.
—Rio Yamat, Darlene Superville, Will Weissert and Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024
Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024
In Australia, the government ultimately banned the artificial slabs amid a public uproar over stonecutters falling ill and dying.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2024
Izzie Ramirez, Vox, 5 Aug. 2024
Social-media is rife with posts like this, pushing superfoods and supplements to boost your hormonal health and improve your low energy, poor sleep, bad acne, and so many other ills in the process.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill 
Adjective
Belgium later withdrew from the mixed relay triathlon race and Switzerland had to mix up its roster after athletes from both countries fell ill following the initial triathlon races.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024
There were 12,000-plus people inside the campus basketball arena on Saturday and, before the event started, local law enforcement halted entry to the event because people were becoming ill while waiting outside in 109-degree heat to go through security.
—Rio Yamat, Darlene Superville, Will Weissert and Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024
Adverb
In Las Vegas on Saturday, more than 12,000 people were inside a university arena when law enforcement halted admission because people were getting ill waiting outside in the 109-degree heat.
—Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024
In Australia, the government ultimately banned the artificial slabs amid a public uproar over stonecutters falling ill and dying.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2024
Noun
Yet according to industry experts, designers, activists, and even the United Nations, a circular economy would help separate consumption from some of its ills and get us back on track to meeting key climate goals.
—Izzie Ramirez, Vox, 5 Aug. 2024
Social-media is rife with posts like this, pushing superfoods and supplements to boost your hormonal health and improve your low energy, poor sleep, bad acne, and so many other ills in the process.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ill
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ill
Cite this Entry
“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ill
1 of 3 adjective1
: meant to do harm or evil
ill deeds
2
a
: causing suffering or distress
ill weather
b
: not normal or sound
ill health
c
: not being in good health
had been ill for some years
d
: affected by nausea
3
: not helpful to one : unlucky
an ill omen
4
: not right or proper
ill manners
5
: not kind or friendly
ill feeling
never said an ill word
ill
2 of 3 adverb
worse; worst
1
a
: with displeasure or anger
the remark was ill received
b
: in a harsh manner
treated me ill
2
: in a way that deserves blame
an ill-spent youth
ill-gotten gains
3
: hardly sense 3, scarcely
can ill afford it
ill
3 of 3 noun1
: the opposite of good : evil
2
a
: sickness sense 2
childhood ills
b
: trouble entry 2 sense 1a
the ills of society
Medical Definition
Geographical Definition
Ill
geographical name
river 129 miles (208 kilometers) long in northeastern France flowing into the Rhine River
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