ill
ill Lexical Profile
ill Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not in full health; suffering from a disease or indisposition; sick.
"She stayed home from the conference because she was feeling quite ill."
Poor in quality, harmful, or unfavorable in nature or effect.
"The sudden economic downturn brought ill fortune to many small businesses."
Marked by hostility, malice, or unfriendliness (chiefly in phrases like 'ill will' or 'ill feeling').
"Despite the fierce debate, the two candidates parted with no ill will toward each other."
• adverb
Badly, poorly, or in an unsatisfactory or unfavorable manner.
"The expedition was ill-equipped for the sudden drop in mountain temperatures."
Scarcely, barely, or only with great difficulty.
"The community college can ill afford to lose its state funding this year."
• noun
A problem, misfortune, or affliction that causes harm or suffering (usually used in the plural).
"Education alone cannot cure all the social and economic ills of a nation."
Evil, harm, or injury inflicted or intended upon someone.
"It is always wiser to refrain from speaking ill of absent colleagues."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the sense of 'sick', 'ill' is used primarily as a predicate adjective (e.g., 'she feels ill'), whereas before a noun it typically means 'bad' or 'hostile' (e.g., 'ill fortune', 'ill will'). Its comparative and superlative forms are irregular: 'worse' and 'worst'.
• Rhymes for ill
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old Norse illr ('evil, bad, difficult'), which gradually displaced the native Old English word yfel ('evil') in everyday senses of sickness and misfortune.