ILL-ADVISED Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

ill-advised

adjective

ˌil-əd-ˈvīzd

Definition of ill-advised

as in inappropriate

showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations an ill-advised criticism of the boss at a company function

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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-advised Time will tell what these partners are able to do with regard to safety, but releasing it to the general public would certainly have been ill-advised and dangerous. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 More often than not, this leads to erroneous information (to be kind) and the formulation of strategies that are ill-advised. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 At age 33, there is reason to wonder if the season was simply a foreshadowing of Betts’ eventual decline, just as there was reason to wonder if his transition to shortstop was ill-advised. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026 Ament’s lawyers are now pushing to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he’d been ill-advised by his previous counsel. — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ill-advised

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-advised

Adjective

The Portland Trail Blazers fired new play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday when past inappropriate social media posts resurfaced just hours after the team announced his hiring.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Sheriff’s officials said, investigators as of Thursday had not uncovered evidence indicating Chen had inappropriate physical contact with a child.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

Electrical issues — like faulty wiring, overloaded power strips, and improper extension cord usage — are the leading cause of fatal fires so far this year.

— Lillian Bonsignore, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
The action comes as Livingston locals raised concerns about the film’s impact on local business — and notably the city’s sole food bank — as well as improper notification about hazardous stunts.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of improper

Adjective

The itinerants were all a bit peculiar, capable of making imprudent choices.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
And this is Minsky’s point, that speculative excesses during euphoric, transformative periods result in imprudent financing, fragility, and instability.

— Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 4 June 2026

Definition of imprudent

Adjective

The state could also use the money for another environmental purpose if dredging is deemed inadvisable — or for further dredging study if necessary.

— Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026
Many people, even those considerably older, posted things on social media that in hindsight were inadvisable.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of inadvisable

Adjective

Let’s finish up by circling back to the beginning, when six injudicious justices ignored an eternal political truth.

— Gerald Scorse, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
And again, many of the reforms backfired or proved injudicious, but some of them remain powerful to this day.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

Definition of injudicious

Adjective

Moreno may also need to make those calls, and saddling his successor with a long-term manager seems unwise and unlikely, even by Moreno’s standards.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of unwise

Adjective

Trump’s super intelligence rebrand can ultimately be read in a couple ways, though arguably neither are particularly nuanced or incisive — just further indicative of the daily deluge of stupid.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Once upon a time, the idea that the world was growing stupider was mostly confined to the realm of dyspeptic reactionary polemic.

— James Marriott, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of stupid

Adjective

She was involved in a bankruptcy case in 2013, arrested on suspicion of careless driving in 2021, and arrested in 2023 on suspicion of domestic violence and battery.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Digger follows greedy, careless Digger as his company inadvertently catalyzes a disaster with global repercussions—then, whoopsie, sets off another for good measure.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of careless

Browse Nearby Words

ill

ill-advised

ill at ease

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

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Synonyms of ill-advised

adjective

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