ILLS Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

ills

noun

plural of ill

as in diseases

an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning chicken pox and the other ills that were once a fixture of childhood

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as in evils

that which is morally unacceptable idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in misfortunes

bad luck or an example of this the travelers merrily set off on their journey, scarcely imagining the ills that would befall them

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ills Alex Pantling/Getty Images What is clear is that no one thinks the changes enacted in either the Championship or League One are a resolution to the EFL’s marked financial ills. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Blaming billionaire wealth-hoarding for America’s ills would poll very well among the nation’s anthropology departments. — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026 Last month, Kwon’s team, in collaboration with Seongju Kim at Hanbat National University, in Daejeon, South Korea, presented its solution to HBM’s future ills. — IEEE Spectrum, 8 July 2026 Hualde says that some Pamplona residents rue his early promotion of the festival due to the ills of overtourism the sleepy provincial city is now experiencing. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 Large protests are expected and, in a country where migration has become an easy target for people suffering from a cascade of social and economic ills, the gatherings risk becoming combustible. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 29 June 2026 But that also eradicates a crucial option - to mount a show trial and scapegoat him for all the ills of his rule, thus absolving others. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Through humor, the master is about to expose humanity's ills. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026 Ultimately, a ballot initiative won’t cure the ills that plague healthcare in the United States, said the Lown Institute’s Saini. — Kff Health News, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ills

Noun

Pathogens are microorganisms known to cause numerous diseases in their host, meaning Bifidobacterium animalis may help fight certain diseases.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Splitting up and spreading out childhood vaccines would be a seismic shift for families and a complicated, costly pursuit for the country that would only leave more people vulnerable to preventable diseases.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of diseases

Noun

But for Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), the local personalities pale in comparison to the evils lurking beneath the cursed island’s surface.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Only instead of crusading against the evils of dancing teenagers, our most pedantic podcasters have joined forces to convince their audiences that Tony Romo should be doing the Texas two-step to the nearest unemployment office.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of evils

Noun

But the fire this time was started by a son, which led to raging misfortunes that consumed his three brothers one by one, leaving only ashen memories for his surviving sister and aged parents to sift through.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Deer-Proof Your Garden To keep your flowers from being gobbled up by deer—one of the most heartbreaking of all garden misfortunes—choose flowers that people find glorious and deer find disgusting.

— Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 13 July 2026

Definition of misfortunes

Noun

Medics treat heat stroke and other ailments from trailers while an announcer calls out an endless stream of names of people separated from their families.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
During his time in the minors, Mayer dealt with hip, back, shoulder and wrist ailments.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of ailments

Noun

To Ramos, the bill represents a step toward reversing the long list of historical wrongs against Native Americans, including those perpetrated by the state government.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Scorpio is determined to reach their hopes no matter what; however, their soft side encourages them to right their wrongs immediately.

— Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of wrongs

Noun

Khanna said medical costs remain a major source of financial insecurity, particularly for Americans diagnosed with serious illnesses.

— Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026
Such interviews revealed that 95 percent had eaten at a Mexican-style restaurant like Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA before their illnesses.

— Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of illnesses

Noun

In addition to public goods, AI will also create public bads.

— James Broughel, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
Naturally, the meeting is a flop because no one was prepared, and their spontaneous ideas are frankly fireable-offense bad (a baguette bag shaped like a baguette for Paris?

— Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025