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ill1 definition

ill (il)

adjective worse, worst

  1. characterized by, causing, or tending to cause harm or evil; specif.,
    1. morally bad or wrong; evil ill repute
    2. causing pain, hardship, etc.; adverse ill fortune
    3. not kind or friendly; harsh; cruel ill will
    4. promising trouble; unfavorable; unfortunate; unpropitious an ill omen
  2. not healthy, normal, or well; having a disease; sick; indisposed
  3. not according to rule, custom, desirability, etc.; faulty; imperfect ill breeding

Etymology: ME < ON illr (replacing OE yfel, evil, in many senses): prob. < Gmc *ilhila < IE base *elk-, hungry, bad > OIr elc, bad

noun

anything causing harm, trouble, wrong, pain, unhappiness, etc.; specif.,
  1. an evil or misfortune
  2. a disease

adverb worse, worst

  1. in an ill manner; specif.,
    1. badly; wrongly; improperly; imperfectly ill-gotten gains
    2. harshly; cruelly; unkindly ill-spoken
  2. with difficulty; scarcely they can ill afford to refuse
ill Idioms

go ill with

to be unfortunate for or unfavorable to

ill at ease

uneasy; uncomfortable

take ill

to be annoyed or offended at
ill2 definition

ill

  1. illustrated
  2. illustration
  3. illustrator
Ill definition

Ill

Illinois

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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