illest Definition

ill
adj worse, worst, iller (colloq), illest (colloq)

1. Not in good health; sick or unwell.

Thesaurus: sick, ailing, unhealthy, unwell, under the weather.
2. Said of health: not good.
3. Bad or harmful.

Example: ill effects
Example: ill-treatment
Thesaurus: harmful, noxious, bad, evil.
4. Hostile; unfriendly.

Example: ill will
Example: ill feeling
5. Causing or heralding bad luck.

Example: an ill omen
6. Said of manners: incorrect; improper.

adverb worse, worst

rather formal or archaic in senses 3‐5:
1. Badly; wrongly.

Example: ill-matched
Example: ill-fitting
2. Harshly.

Example: speak ill of someone
3. Hardly; scarcely.

Example: be ill able to afford the money
4. Unfavourably.

Example: It went ill with them
Example: think ill of him
5. Not easily; with difficulty.

Example: can ill spare the time

noun

1. Evil; harm; trouble.

Example: one of the ills of modern society
2. An injury, ailment or misfortune.

Idiom: go ill with someone

chiefly old use
To end in danger or misfortune for them.

Idiom: ill at ease

Uneasy; uncomfortable; embarrassed.
Thesaurus: uneasy, uncomfortable, anxious, discomfited.

Idiom: ill become someone

rather formal or old use
To do them no credit; not to be to their advantage.

Idiom: speak ill of someone or something

See under speak.

Idiom: take something ill

chiefly old use
To be offended by it.
Thesaurus: take offence at, resent, be offended by, take umbrage at, be annoyed by.

Idiom: with an ill grace

Ungraciously.

Etymology: 15c in sense 1; 12c in the sense ‘wicked' or ‘immoral': from Norse illr.