ill — not in good health; sick
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: not in good health; sick
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪl/
Example Sentences
- My cat looks ill after eating my homework... again.
- She was ill-prepared for the surprise math test.
- It's ill-advised to text your ex at 3 AM.
ill
ADJECTIVE[/ɪl/]
not in good health; sick
A family member cares for someone who is ill in bed
Climb the hill when you're ill, then take the pill!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old Norse 'illr' meaning 'bad' or 'evil', this word originally denoted moral or general badness. Over time, its semantic range expanded to include the sense of being 'sick' or 'diseased', which became the dominant meaning in modern English.
Breakdown
Old Norse 'illr' (bad, evil) → Middle English 'ille' → Modern English 'ill'. The root 'illr' carries the primitive sense of badness, which later specialized to describe physical ailments and poor health.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat looks ill after eating my homework... again.”
“She was ill-prepared for the surprise math test.”
“It's ill-advised to text your ex at 3 AM.”
“The ill wind brought nothing but trouble to the village.”
“He became ill with worry about his final exams.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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