WordGarden.ioill
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈɪl/
US
- /ˈɪl/
Meanings
Adjective
sick or unwell
bad, harmful, or unfavorable
(slang)excellent or impressive
Adverb
badly or inadequately
Noun
a problem, harm, or social wrong
Beyond the definition
To be ill usually means not feeling well. It is a general word for being sick, whether from a cold, a fever, or something more serious. Imagine a little bird with drooping wings; that bird is likely ill. You might say someone is "feeling ill" before they know exactly what is wrong.
But ill is not only about health. It can also mean "bad" or "unfortunate," as in an "ill-fated journey." In some phrases, it can suggest harm or bad intent, such as "ill will." So the context matters: is someone sick, or is something going wrong?
The word ill most commonly describes a state of poor health. If you have a headache, a cough, or a fever, you may be described as ill. It is a general term that can cover everything from a mild cold to a serious disease. A sentence like "She was too ill to come to the party" means she was not well enough to attend. You might also hear that someone is "falling ill," which means they are starting to get sick.
But ill also has broader meanings beyond physical health. It can mean "bad," "harmful," or "unfortunate," and this sense still appears in several common English expressions:
- Ill-tempered: meaning bad-tempered or easily angered.
- Ill will: meaning hostile feelings or bad intent.
- Ill fate or fortune: meaning bad luck or an unfortunate future.
- Ill-gotten gains: meaning money or benefits gained in a dishonest or illegal way.
- Ill-used: describing someone who has been treated badly or unfairly.
So, while you will most often use ill to describe someone's health, remember that it can also describe something negative, harmful, or unlucky. It is a small word with a wide reach, used for both sickness and for things that feel wrong in some way.
Examples
- 1
Work absence
I was ill last week, so I stayed home from work.
- 2
Food poisoning
Several children fell ill after eating at the same cafe.
- Phrasefall ill
become ill
- 3
Physical reaction
The smell of paint made me feel ill.
- 4
Specific illness
She's been ill with pneumonia for nearly a month.
- Patternill with + illness
sick because of that illness
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Serious illness
His mother is seriously ill, and he's spending more time at the hospital.
- 6
Travel emergency
One of the passengers was taken ill on the flight.
- Usagetaken ill
suddenly became ill; fairly formal
- 7
Social discomfort
I felt ill at ease among people I didn't know.
- Phraseill at ease
uncomfortable and not relaxed
- 8
Criticism
It's easy to speak ill of someone when they aren't in the room.
- Phrasespeak ill of
say bad things about
See also
Forms and spellings
6 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- illnounadjectiveadverb
Forms
- worstsuperlativeadjectivenounadverb
- worsecomparativeadjectivenounadverb
- illspluralnounadjectiveadverb
- illestsuperlativeadjectivenounadverb
- illercomparativeadjectivenounadverb