ill

adjective

UK /ɪl/

Word Forms

adjective	ill
comparative	worse
superlative	worst

1
not healthy, because of a medical condition or an injury. The usual American word is sick
He’s been ill for a couple of weeks.
She was too ill to travel.
mentally ill patients
terminally ill (=going to die because of an illness)
seriously/critically ill:
Her husband is seriously ill in hospital.
fall ill /be taken ill (=become ill):
She was unlucky enough to fall ill on holiday.
ill with:
Samantha was seriously ill with a fever.
Synonyms and related words
Feeling and being unhealthy or ill
ill
frail
unfit
Collocates
Adverbs frequently used with ill
▪ critically, dangerously, desperately, gravely, really, seriously, severely, very
2
only before nounbad, or harmful
Their defeat was mainly due to their ill-discipline.
The fish didn’t taste fresh, but we suffered no ill effects.
ill temper/humour:
Bouts of ill temper punctuated the match.
Synonyms and related words
Dangerous or harmful
dangerous
harmful
disastrous
Synonyms and related words
Bad or of a low quality
sad
poor
terribly

ill

adjective

US /ɪl/

Word Forms

adjective	ill
comparative	worse
superlative	worst

1
not healthy, because of a medical condition or an injury
He’s been ill for a couple of weeks.
She was too ill to travel.
mentally ill patients
terminally ill (=going to die because of an illness)
seriously/critically ill:
Her husband is seriously ill in the hospital.
fall ill /be taken ill (=become ill):
She was unlucky enough to fall ill on vacation.
ill with:
Sarah was seriously ill with a fever.
Synonyms and related words
Feeling and being unhealthy or ill
ill
frail
unfit
See alsosick
Collocates
Adverbs frequently used with ill
▪ critically, dangerously, desperately, gravely, really, seriously, severely, very
2
only before nounformalbad, or harmful
Their defeat was mainly due to their ill-discipline.
The fish didn’t taste fresh, but we suffered no ill effects.
ill temper/humor:
Bouts of ill temper punctuated the match.
Synonyms and related words
Dangerous or harmful
dangerous
harmful
disastrous
Synonyms and related words
Bad or of a low quality
bad
poor
second-rate

ill

adverbformal

UK /ɪl/

Word Forms

comparative	worse
superlative	worst

1
badly
I’m afraid you have been ill informed.
Synonyms and related words
Bad or of a low quality
sad
poor
terribly

phrases

can ill afford (to do) something

ill

adverbformal

US /ɪl/

Word Forms

comparative	worse
superlative	worst

1
badly
I’m afraid you have been ill informed.
Synonyms and related words
Bad or of a low quality
bad
poor
second-rate

phrases

can ill afford (to do) something

ill

nounformal

UK /ɪl/

Word Forms

singular	ill
plural	ills

1
countable usually plurala problem or difficulty
A change of government is regarded as the cure for all the nation’s ills.
Synonyms and related words
General problems and difficulties
problem
difficulty
trouble
2
uncountable old-fashionedharm
I knew of no one who would wish him ill.
Synonyms and related words
Destruction and damage
damage
destruction
harm

phrases

for good or ill

ill

nounformal

US /ɪl/

Word Forms

singular	ill
plural	ills

1
countable usually plurala problem or difficulty
Electing a president of a different party is regarded as the cure for all the nation’s ills.
Synonyms and related words
General problems and difficulties
problem
difficulty
trouble
2
uncountable old-fashionedharm
I knew of no one who would wish him ill.
Synonyms and related words
Destruction and damage
damage
destruction
harm

phrases

for good or ill

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