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.
See Examples For:
Mr. Blyth exudes a bland wholesomeness that’s an ill fit for the cynicism and cocky humor that define his character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Care for an ill person under 40 was particularly high — $4,700 more per year than the out-of-pocket average.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Thousands of Indonesians protested in Jakarta and other cities on Wednesday against economic hardship, graft and the government's handling of devastating wildfires emitting a toxic haze that has made thousands ill.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
He pulled out of his daughter's royal wedding that year, citing ill health.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
“But my son is ill, seriously ill, and I have to find a doctor. Please. It is urgent.”
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Like the Tech Right, these men see noble masculinity as the solution to most of society’s ills.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
As Norway advance, is Wright correct about Scottish football's ills?
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The Swiss are largely well-governed, and the country’s appeal is understandable to people who want to escape the tax rates and other ills that are common elsewhere in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Ultimately, a ballot initiative won’t cure the ills that plague healthcare in the United States, said the Lown Institute’s Saini.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
We asked for a sign from heaven, and the sign came to cut across the open sea to Euboia, and lose no time putting our ills behind us.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
"If you have a generally iller population, that's not good for the residents, it's not good for productivity, it's not good for the economy.'"
From BBC ● May 25, 2023
This gave him an unnatural appearance and made him look iller than ever.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 30, 2019
He got iller and iller and iller, and of course he died in the beginning of 2015 when some of the other things had started appearing in the press.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2016
Still, in his older, iller years, he's become kinder, even to himself, and though he wished he'd done some stuff better, he could live with it.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 23, 2012
This, in turn, was the very thing to keep him but ill at ease with himself, and iller at ease, if not at downright loggerheads, with everybody else.
From The Red Moccasins A Story by Morrison Heady
The Black neighborhoods like Baldwin Hills Estates, Ladera Heights and View Park all sit hillside with some of the illest views in the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
His wife was told she should prepare for the worst, with staff describing her husband as "one of the illest people they'd ever seen".
From BBC ● May 21, 2024
Rapper Travis Scott told his nearly 12 million followers on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that Monday “might be one for the illest days in women’s sports historyyyyyyy.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
Blaze is just one of the illest low heads.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2021
Not knowing is worse than the very illest news.
From Grey Town An Australian Story by Gerald Baldwin
"I think it's definitely got worse," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Intel had an even worse day than Google, with the chip-maker’s stock price plunging 29% on Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
So could the next attack be worse than what’s come before?
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
Rising costs and a labyrinthine insurance system have been perennial hazards, he said, "but in some ways it's almost worse than ever."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
I tuck the pot under my arm, try not to be irritated that it still looks awful and maybe even worse than last time.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
It is now nine games in all competitions since Carrick's side won, their worst run since 1988-89.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
“That was our worst fear and now it’s happening,” she said.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
And railway infrastructure isn’t the only area under scrutiny: A 2025 report by the Spanish Road Association concluded that Spain’s road surfaces were in the worst condition in recent history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Intel had one of its worst days on the market.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Yes. That was truly the worst part,” said Balthilda.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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