ILL: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for ILL?

Need another word that means the same as “ill”? Find 97 synonyms and 30 related words for “ill” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Ill” are: sick, inauspicious, ominous, unwell, not well, not very well, ailing, poorly, sickly, peaky, afflicted, indisposed, infirm, liverish, bad, poor, unsatisfactory, incompetent, unacceptable, inadequate, deficient, defective, faulty, unskilful, inexpert, amateurish, harmful, damaging, detrimental, deleterious, adverse, injurious, hurtful, destructive, pernicious, inimical, dangerous, ruinous, calamitous, disastrous, malign, malignant, unlucky, unfavourable, unfortunate, unpropitious, unpromising, infelicitous, gloomy, badly, imperfectly, adversely, unsuccessfully, unfavourably, inadequately, insufficiently, unhappily, inauspiciously, barely, scarcely, hardly, just, only just, just possibly, narrowly, ailment, complaint, problems, troubles, difficulties, misfortunes, strains, trials, tribulations, trials and tribulations, worries, anxieties, concerns, illnesses, ill health, poor health, harm, hurt, injury, damage, mischief, pain, trouble, unpleasantness, misfortune, grievance, suffering, distress, anguish, trauma, grief

Ill as a Noun

Definitions of "Ill" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “ill” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A problem or misfortune.
• An often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining.
• Evil or harm.

Synonyms of "Ill" as a noun (31 Words)

ailment	An often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining. The doctor diagnosed a common stomach ailment.
anguish	Severe mental or physical pain or suffering. Philip gave a cry of anguish.
anxieties	(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic.
complaint	A loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow. I intend to make an official complaint.
concerns	An anxious feeling. A racially integrated business concern.
damage	Loss of military equipment. The damage to his reputation was considerable.
difficulties	An effort that is inconvenient.
distress	A state of adversity (danger or affliction or need. Vessels in distress on or near the coast.
grief	Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death. Time heals griefs and quarrels.
grievance	An official statement of a complaint over something believed to be wrong or unfair. A website which enabled staff to air their grievances.
harm	Actual or potential ill effects or danger. I can t see any harm in it.
hurt	Feelings of mental or physical pain. Rolling properly into a fall minimizes hurt.
ill health	An often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining.
illnesses	Impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism.
injury	An act that causes someone or something to receive physical damage. All escaped without serious injury.
mischief	A wrong or hardship that a statute is designed to remove or for which the common law affords a remedy. The statute was passed to prevent a mischief in respect of which the defendant was already under a duty at common law.
misfortune	Bad luck. Never laugh at other people s misfortunes.
misfortunes	An unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes.
pain	A symptom of some physical hurt or disorder. As the intensity increased the sensation changed from tickle to pain.
poor health	People without possessions or wealth (considered as a group.
problems	A state of difficulty that needs to be resolved. Urban problems such as traffic congestion and smog.
strains	Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension- R.J.Samuelson. She endured the stresses and strains of life.
suffering	Psychological suffering. His disregard for the sufferings of his fellow countrymen.
trauma	Emotional shock following a stressful event or a physical injury, which may lead to long-term neurosis. Rupture of the diaphragm caused by blunt trauma.
trials	The act of undergoing testing. In the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately.
trials and tribulations	A preliminary competition to determine qualifications.
tribulations	An annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event. Life is full of tribulations.
trouble	Used to refer to the condition of a pregnant unmarried woman. I went to a lot of trouble.
troubles	An unwanted pregnancy. He wanted to die and end his troubles.
unpleasantness	Bad feeling or quarrelling between people. Their faces were filled with unpleasantness.
worries	Something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness. It's a major worry.

Usage Examples of "Ill" as a noun

• A lengthy work on the ills of society.
• How could I wish him ill?

Ill as an Adjective

Definitions of "Ill" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “ill” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Not favourable or auspicious.
• Presaging ill fortune- P.B.Shelley.
• Bad or harmful.
• Affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function.
• Suffering from an illness or disease or feeling unwell.
• Presaging ill fortune.
• Distressing.
• Poor in quality.
• Indicating hostility or enmity.
• Resulting in suffering or adversity.

Synonyms of "Ill" as an adjective (49 Words)

adverse	In an opposing direction. Adverse currents.
afflicted	Mentally or physically unfit.
ailing	Somewhat ill or prone to illness. My poor ailing grandmother.
amateurish	Lacking professional skill or expertise. A very amateurish job.
bad	Feeling physical discomfort or pain tough is occasionally used colloquially for bad. Bad behaviour.
calamitous	Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. Such calamitous events as fires hurricanes and floods.
damaging	Having a detrimental effect on someone or something. Damaging to career and reputation.
dangerous	Involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm. Unemployment reached dangerous proportions.
defective	Having a defect. Defective speech.
deficient	Inadequate in amount or degree. This diet is deficient in vitamin B.
deleterious	Harmful to living things. Deleterious chemical additives.
destructive	Causing destruction or much damage. A policy that is destructive to the economy.
detrimental	Causing harm or injury. Moving her could have a detrimental effect on her health.
disastrous	Causing great damage. A disastrous fire swept through the museum.
faulty	Characterized by errors; not agreeing with a model or not following established rules. Faulty logic.
gloomy	Filled with melancholy and despondency. Gloomy forecasts about the economy.
harmful	Causing or capable of causing harm. Harmful effects of smoking.
hurtful	Causing hurt. Her hurtful unconsidered words.
inadequate	Of insufficient quantity to meet a need. A sad solitary inadequate man.
inauspicious	Unlucky. This is the inauspicious star of disaster.
incompetent	Legally not qualified or sufficient. The patient is deemed legally incompetent.
indisposed	Strongly opposed. Clearly indisposed to grant their request.
inexpert	Having or showing a lack of skill or knowledge. Inexpert but conscientious efforts.
infelicitous	Not appropriate in application; defective. Infelicitous circumstances.
infirm	(of a person or their judgement) weak; irresolute. Infirm of purpose give me the daggers.
inimical	Unfriendly; hostile. An inimical critic.
injurious	(of language) maliciously insulting; libellous. Food which is injurious to health.
liverish	Irritable as if suffering from indigestion. A liverish red.
malign	Having or exerting a malignant influence. Believed in witches and malign spirits.
malignant	Dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor. In the hands of malignant fate.
not very well	Being the exact same one; not any other.
not well	Wise or advantageous and hence advisable.
ominous	Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments. Ominous rumblings of discontent.
peaky	Having or as if having especially high-pitched spots. You re looking a bit peaky a change of scene would do you good.
pernicious	Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way. The pernicious influences of the mass media.
poor	Having little money or few possessions. A poor land.
poorly	Somewhat ill or prone to illness. She looked poorly.
ruinous	Causing injury or blight; especially affecting with sudden violence or plague or ruin. The cost of their ransom might be ruinous.
sick	Excellent. He looked pretty sick at that but he eventually agreed.
sickly	Unhealthy looking. She was a thin sickly child.
unacceptable	Not adequate to give satisfaction. A word unacceptable in polite society.
unfavourable	(of winds or weather) tending to hinder or oppose. Single mothers are often the target of unfavourable press attention.
unfortunate	Not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune. An unfortunate decision.
unlucky	Having or bringing misfortune. Friday the 13th is an unlucky date.
unpromising	Not giving hope of future success or good results. The boy s natural intellect had survived in unpromising circumstances.
unpropitious	(of a circumstance) not giving or indicating a good chance of success; unfavourable. His reports were submitted at a financially unpropitious time.
unsatisfactory	Not giving satisfaction. Shops should take back unsatisfactory goods.
unskilful	Not having or showing skill. Though kind and willing she was unskilful.
unwell	Somewhat ill or prone to illness. Is unwell and can t come to work.

Usage Examples of "Ill" as an adjective

• I have had a run of ill luck.
• Of ill repute.
• Ill judgement dogs the unsuccessful.
• He was taken ill with food poisoning.
• A terminally ill patient.
• Ill from the monotony of his suffering.
• Ill predictions.
• Even the seriously ill cannot get tests done immediately.
• A bird of ill omen.
• She had a cup of the same wine and suffered no ill effects.
• Ill feelings.
• It's an ill wind that blows no good.
• You certainly did me an ill turn.
• Ill effects.
• Ill omens.
• Ill manners.
• Ill will.

Ill as an Adverb

Definitions of "Ill" as an adverb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “ill” as an adverb can have the following definitions:

• (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well.
• With difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely or hardly.
• Badly, wrongly, or imperfectly.
• In a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well.
• Unfavourably or inauspiciously.
• Unfavorably or with disapproval.
• Only with difficulty; hardly.

Synonyms of "Ill" as an adverb (17 Words)

adversely	In a way that prevents success or development; harmfully or unfavourably. His self confidence was adversely affected for years to come.
badly	With great intensity bad is a nonstandard variant for badly. The venture turned out badly for the investors.
barely	Openly; explicitly. They had barely sat down before forty policemen swarmed in.
hardly	Harshly. I hardly think so.
imperfectly	In a flawed or incomplete way. The disease was imperfectly understood at the time.
inadequately	In a way that lacks the quality or quantity required; unsatisfactorily. A hastily trained inadequately equipped army.
inauspiciously	In an inauspicious manner. He started his new job inauspiciously on Friday the 13th.
insufficiently	To an inadequate degree; not enough. We were insufficiently attentive.
just	Very recently; in the immediate past. Simon really messed things up Didn t he just.
just possibly	Indicating exactness or preciseness.
narrowly	Closely or carefully. He was looking at her narrowly.
only just	Never except when.
poorly	In a way that is unsatisfactory or inadequate. He lived as poorly as his peasant parishioners.
scarcely	Almost not. They could scarcely all be wrong.
unfavourably	Showing disapproval; in a disparaging way. Her mother s actions always reflected unfavourably upon her.
unhappily	Unfortunately. Unhappily such days do not come too often.
unsuccessfully	In a way that fails to accomplish a desired aim or result. He unsuccessfully opposed the sanctions policy.

Usage Examples of "Ill" as an adverb

• He was ill prepared.
• Tried not to speak ill of the dead.
• A look on her face which boded ill for anyone who crossed her path.
• It ill befits a man to betray old friends.
• Ill-fitting clothes.
• The street is dominated by ill-lit shops.
• It ill becomes one so beautiful to be gloomy.
• An ill-conceived plan.
• She could ill afford the cost of new curtains.

Associations of "Ill" (30 Words)

ailment	An illness, typically a minor one. The doctor diagnosed a common stomach ailment.
catching	The act of detecting something catching sight of something. Her enthusiasm is catching.
communicable	Capable of being transmitted by infection. The fight against communicable disease.
contagious	(of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection. A contagious disease.
disabled	Relating to or specifically designed for people with a physical or mental disability. Disabled access is available at all venues.
disease	A particular quality or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people. We are suffering from the British disease of self deprecation.
disturbed	Affected with madness or insanity. The disturbed books and papers on her desk.
dizzy	Make dizzy or giddy. A dizzy blonde.
epidemic	Of the nature of an epidemic. A flu epidemic.
epilepsy	A disorder of the central nervous system characterized by loss of consciousness and convulsions.
flu	Influenza. She was in bed with flu.
headache	A thing or person that causes worry or difficulty; a problem. I ve got a splitting headache.
hospital	A hospice, especially one run by the Knights Hospitaller. Christ's Hospital.
illness	Impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism. I ve never missed a day s work through illness.
infect	Affect in a contagious way. Society was infected by racism.
infection	(international law) illegality that taints or contaminates a ship or cargo rendering it liable to seizure. The infection of his enthusiasm for poetry.
infectious	Of or relating to infection. A loud infectious laugh.
migraine	A severe recurring vascular headache; occurs more frequently in women than men. I m getting a migraine.
neurotic	A neurotic person. I wasn t going to be labelled as a hypochondriac or neurotic.
pandemic	An outbreak of a pandemic disease. Pandemic diseases have occurred throughout history.
patient	Enduring trying circumstances with even temper or characterized by such endurance. Was patient with the children.
plague	A contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium typically with the formation of buboes bubonic plague and sometimes infection of the lungs pneumonic plague. Staff theft is usually the plague of restaurants.
sars	A respiratory disease of unknown etiology that apparently originated in mainland China in 2003; characterized by fever and coughing or difficulty breathing or hypoxia; can be fatal.
schizophrenia	A long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation. Gibraltar s schizophrenia continues to be fed by colonial pride.
septic	A drainage system incorporating a septic tank. A septic environment.
sick	People who are sick. He was passing blood and sicking it up.
smallpox	A highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever and weakness and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs that slough off leaving scars.
transmissible	Occurring among members of a family usually by heredity. The virus mutated into a form that was transmissible between humans.
transmission	A programme or signal that is broadcast or sent out. A three speed automatic transmission.
unbalanced	Affected with madness or insanity. She considered him to be mentally unbalanced and dangerous.