/ ɪl; NAmE / adjective , adverb , noun
■ adjective
1.
( especially BrE ) ( NAmE usually sick ) [ not usually before noun ] suffering from an illness or disease; not feeling well :
Her father is seriously ill in St Luke's hospital.
She was taken ill suddenly.
We both started to feel ill shortly after the meal.
Uncle Harry is terminally ill with cancer (= he will die from his illness) .
the mentally ill (= people with a mental illness)
( formal )
He fell ill and died soon after.
—see also illness
2.
[ usually before noun ] bad or harmful :
He resigned because of ill health (= he was often ill) .
She suffered no ill effects from the experience.
a woman of ill repute (= considered to be immoral)
3.
( formal ) that brings, or is thought to bring, bad luck :
a bird of ill omen
•
IDIOMS
- ill at ease
- it's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good)
—more at feeling
■ adverb
1.
(especially in compounds) badly or in an unpleasant way :
The animals had been grossly ill-treated.
2.
( formal ) badly; not in an acceptable way :
They live in an area ill served by public transport.
3.
( formal ) only with difficulty :
We're wasting valuable time, time we can ill afford.
•
IDIOMS
- speak / think ill of sb
■ noun
1.
[ usually pl. ] ( formal ) a problem or harmful thing; an illness :
social / economic ills
the ills of the modern world
2.
[ U ] ( literary ) harm; bad luck :
I may not like him, but I wish him no ill.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the senses wicked , malevolent , harmful , and difficult ): from Old Norse illr evil, difficult, of unknown origin.