Definition of illnext
1
as in sick
affected with nausea she grew ill from the constant rocking motion of the boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard such ill behavior will not be tolerated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5

ill

2 of 3

adverb

ill

3 of 3

noun

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ill
Adjective
Duale said the patient fell ill about a month ago and was treated in several hospitals while in the DRC. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 His attorney has said Garces-Perez remains seriously ill and has a bullet lodged in his body while being held at an ICE detention facility. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Restrictions on shipping through key global trade routes are stoking concerns of a coming worldwide food-price shock, with poor countries particularly ill prepared. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026 That evening, the household, with the exception of Lizzie, fell ill again after eating mutton stew. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
But unlike Transcription or George Saunders’s Vigil, the year’s other novel about a rich old man on his way to the underworld, this book doesn’t try to diagnose our collective ills. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 The colonial latifundium, instead of being abolished by independence, was strengthened, leading to any number of national ills. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill
Adjective
  • Compiling and sharing data from large races can also help event organizers assess whether changes like earlier start times or alternate dates help reduce the number of people who get sick or hurt.
    — STAT, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Add a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, a loss, a lawsuit, a sick parent or a partner who travels, and the inventory stops being theoretical.
    — Simbiat Adighije, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • While the baits are not harmful to pets, eating several may cause mild stomach upset.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The film primarily follows Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a Facebook employee in the company’s civic integrity team, the group tasked with making sure Facebook acts responsibly and avoids the harmful impacts of its product.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This involves having a poorly or non-functioning colon and is not usually reversible.
    — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Hong Kong — Days before Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi was killed, her father-in-law and brother-in-law allegedly went on an ominous shopping spree.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And Jeremy is the handsome cipher, the seemingly long-suffering dreamboat of a husband who may or may not be harboring more ominous intentions.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • The attacks and the air raid alerts that accompany them have severely disrupted life in the city, forcing millions to constantly seek shelter and paralyzing the capital’s businesses and transport networks.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • While much of the AI safety debate has centered on losing control of AI, Altman said restricting access to AI too severely in the name of safety could be harmful too.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Ask about medication to prevent HIV, which should be started as soon as possible and no later than 72 hours, and about emergency contraception.
    — Jennifer Obel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • On Thursday, Abdy and De Luca were waiting to learn their fate, which was to be revealed no later than closing day, Tuesday, October 6.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia are difficult to study, in part because diagnosing the disease early in people is challenging.
    — Julie Moreno, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Younger demographics are being diagnosed with increasing cases of colon cancer, and people of color face disproportionately higher mortality rates from the disease.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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