ill
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
How often you will meet it
Rank 762 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 24,638 times across 191,579 chapters — 0.012% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
adjective
- affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function also: sick ill from the monotony of his suffering
- resulting in suffering or adversity ill effectsit's an ill wind that blows no good
- distressing ill mannersof ill repute
- indicating hostility or enmity you certainly did me an ill turnill feelings
- presaging ill fortune also: inauspicious, ominous ill omensill predictions
adverb
- (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well also: badly, poorly he was ill preparedit ill befits a man to betray old friends
- unfavorably or with disapproval also: badly tried not to speak ill of the deadthought badly of him for his lack of concern
- with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely or hardly we can ill afford to buy a new car just now
ill in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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The commissary could not conceal his ill humor.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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I've tried them all, my wife is very ill.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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But about the middle of the winter Eady’s horses fell ill of a local epidemic.
Ethan Frome · Edith Wharton · Chapter 1
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One escapes from one breed of an ill only to encounter another breed of it.
Following the Equator — Part 1 · Mark Twain · Chapter 1
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He was very ill, yet the girl had not a minute's doubt that he would get well.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1