ɪl adj., adv., & n. --adj. 1 (usu. predic.;
often foll. by with)
out of
health; sick (is ill;
was taken ill
with pneumonia; mentally ill people). 2 (of health)
unsound, disordered. 3
wretched,
unfavourable (ill
fortune; ill luck). 4
harmful (ill effects). 5
hostile,
unkind (ill feeling). 6
archaic morally
bad. 7
faulty,
unskilful (ill
taste; ill management). 8 (of manners or conduct)
improper. --adv. 1
badly, wrongly (ill-matched). 2 a imperfectly (ill-provided). b
scarcely (can ill
afford to do it). 3 unfavourably (it
would have gone ill with them). --n. 1
injury,
harm. 2
evil;
the opposite of
good. ødo an ill
turn to harm (a
person or a person's interests). ill-advised 1
acting foolishly or imprudently. 2 (of a
plan etc.)
not well formed or considered. ill-advisedly in a
foolish or badly considered
manner. ill-affected (foll. by towards) not well disposed. ill-assorted not well matched. ill at
ease embarrassed,
uneasy. ill-behaved see
BEHAVE. ill
blood bad
feeling;
animosity. ill-bred badly
brought up;
rude. ill
breeding bad manners. ill-considered = ill-advised. ill-defined not clearly defined. ill-disposed 1 (often foll. by towards) unfavourably disposed. 2 disposed to evil;
malevolent. ill-equipped (often foll. by to + infin.) not adequately equipped or qualified. ill
fame see FAME. ill-fated destined to or bringing bad fortune. ill-favoured (US -favored)
unattractive, displeasing,
objectionable. ill feeling bad feeling; animosity. ill-founded (of an
idea etc.) not well founded;
baseless. ill-gotten gained by
wicked or
unlawful means. ill
humour moroseness, irritability. ill-humoured
bad-tempered. ill-judged
unwise; badly considered. ill-mannered having bad manners; rude. ill
nature churlishness, unkindness. ill-natured
churlish, unkind. ill-naturedly churlishly. ill-omened attended by bad omens. ill-starred
unlucky; destined to
failure. ill
success partial or
complete failure. ill
temper moroseness. ill-tempered
morose,
irritable. ill-timed
done or occurring at an
inappropriate time. ill-treat (or -use)
treat badly;
abuse. ill-treatment (or ill use) abuse; bad
treatment. ill will bad feeling; animosity. an ill wind an unfavourable or
untoward circumstance (with
ref. to the
proverb it's an ill wind
that blows
nobody good).
speak ill of
say something unfavourable
about. [ME f. ON illr, of unkn. orig.]