ill

I UK [ɪl] / US adjective
Word forms "ill":
adjective ill comparative worse superlative worst
***

1) not healthy, because of a medical condition or an injury. The usual American word is sick

He's been ill for a couple of weeks.

She was too ill to travel.

mentally ill patients

terminally ill (= going to die because of an illness)

seriously/critically ill:

Her husband is seriously ill in hospital.

fall ill /be taken ill (= become ill):

She was unlucky enough to fall ill on holiday.

ill with:

Samantha was seriously ill with a fever.

•

Collocations:
Adverbs frequently used with ill
▪  critically, dangerously, desperately, gravely, really, seriously, severely, very

2) [only before noun] bad, or harmful

Their defeat was mainly due to their ill-discipline.

The fish didn't taste fresh, but we suffered no ill effects.

ill temper/humour:

Bouts of ill temper punctuated the match.

II UK [ɪl] / US adverb
Word forms "ill":
comparative worse superlative worst formal *

badly

I'm afraid you have been ill informed.

•

can ill afford (to do) something — used for saying that someone should definitely not do something because it will cause problems

We could ill afford another argument with the publisher.

The soldiers can ill afford to wait another 24 hours before receiving orders.

See:

bode

III UK [ɪl] / US noun
Word forms "ill":
singular ill plural ills formal

1) [countable, usually plural] a problem or difficulty

A change of government is regarded as the cure for all the nation's ills.

2) [uncountable] old-fashioned harm

I knew of no one who would wish him ill.

•

- for good or ill