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.
A seriously ill passenger is medically evacuated to South Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
A suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs, killed three people, and several others have become severely ill aboard a luxury cruise ship.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
His wife, the third super-spreader, was feeling ill when she attended his wake, where 10 more people were infected.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
The Dutch government update said before her death she had boarded a KLM flight heading from Johannesburg to the Netherlands, but became ill before its departure.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
“In our house, there wasn’t a chair with four legs left whole for my ill grandmother to sit on,” she said.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
