ill
Usage
What are other ways to say ill?
The adjective ill is more mild than evil or wicked, and it appears mainly in certain fixed expressions: ill will; ill-natured. Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law: evil practices. Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong: a wicked plan. Bad is the broadest and simplest term: a bad man; bad habits.Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Zaynah, 24, has suffered from physical ill health and has not had a job since leaving college.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Those figures bode ill for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, whose organizers are also counting on a robust flow of foreign visitors.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Biden had a raspy voice, which his team said was because he was ill, and a moment where he seemed to lose his train of thought.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Many residents hide sick relatives from health workers, inadvertently infecting themselves through contact with the sweat and blood of the ill.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
And when the nation was formed into a more unified whole in 1787, “the Union had received them with all the ill habits about them.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
