Ill

/ɪl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A condition of being sick or unwell.

The doctor treated her for the ills that plagued her.

adjective

Affected by physical or mental illness.

She felt ill after eating the undercooked chicken.

Badly or poorly; in an unfavorable manner.

He was treated ill by his coworkers.

Morally bad or wicked.

The ill consequences of his actions were evident.

adverb

In a bad manner; poorly.

He plays the piano ill compared to his sister.

Middle English, from Old English ‘ikil’, meaning 'bad' or 'foul'.

ill at ease

Feeling uncomfortable or anxious.

ill will

A feeling of hostility or enmity.

ill-fated

Doomed to disaster; unlucky.

illness

A disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind.

bad

Not good in any manner or degree.

malady

A disease or ailment.

Cool or impressive.

That new car is ill!

Unfortunate or problematic.

It’s ill when you miss the bus in the rain.