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单词 ill
释义
ill1 adjectiveill2 adverbill3 noun
illill1 /ɪl/ ●●● S3 W2 adjective Word Origin
WORD ORIGINill1
Origin:
1100-1200 Old Norse illr
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • All that week, Catherine lay ill, drifting in and out of consciousness.
  • Apparently Don's wife is seriously ill, and they think it might be cancer.
  • Mel was so ill that she had to stay in bed for a month.
  • Mentally ill patients have the same rights as anyone else.
  • psychological support for terminally ill patients
  • The baby caught a virus and became critically ill.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • Her makeup so unbelievably dramatic, so abnormal, she looked mentally ill.
  • I felt helpless and despairing and suddenly so ill that I had to clutch at the door to stop myself falling.
  • One civil servant has retired on ill health grounds and two downgraded.
Thesaurus
THESAURUS
[not before noun] especially British English suffering from a disease or not feeling well: · Her mother is seriously ill in hospital.· I woke up feeling really ill.
especially American English ill: · She’s been sick with the flu.· a sick child· Dan got sick on vacation.
[not before noun] ill, but not seriously ill: · Sarah’s not very well – she has a throat infection.
[not before noun] formal ill: · The singer had been unwell for some time.· Symptoms include fever, aching muscles, and feeling generally unwell.
[not before noun] BrE spoken ill: · Your grandmother’s been very poorly lately.
[not before noun] very ill because of a serious injury or disease: · You’d better call an ambulance – she looks like she’s in a bad way.
British English, be out sick American English to be not at work because of an illness: · Two teachers were off sick yesterday.
slightly ill
(also off colour British English) [not before noun] informal slightly ill: · Sorry I haven’t called you – I’ve been a bit under the weather lately.· You look a bit off colour – are you sure you’re OK?
[not before noun] feeling slightly ill and tired all the time, for example because you have been working too hard, or not eating well: · Some people take extra vitamins if they are feeling run down.
often ill
unhealthy and often ill: · Chopin was already in poor health when he arrived on the island.
weak and likely to become ill easily: · She was delicate and pale and frequently complained of headaches.· He had a delicate constitution and throughout his adult life suffered from various illnesses.
a sickly child is often ill: · He was a sickly child and spent a lot of time at home on his own.· His younger daughter was sickly and died when she was young.
Longman Language Activatorill
especially British suffering from bad health or not feeling well: · Mel was so ill that she had to stay in bed for a month.seriously ill (=very ill): · Apparently Don's wife is seriously ill, and they think it might be cancer.critically ill (=extremely ill): · The baby caught a virus and became critically ill.terminally ill (=so ill that you are going to die): · psychological support for terminally ill patientsmentally ill (=suffering from a mental illness): · Mentally ill patients have the same rights as anyone else.lie ill (=be ill in bed): · All that week, Catherine lay ill, drifting in and out of consciousness.
especially American ill: · Where's Mary today? I hope she's not sick again.· Sheila spent months looking after her sick mother.be off sick (=not at work or school because of illness): · Gary phoned to say that he's off sick today.be off work sick/be in bed sick: · I'm sorry I didn't reply to your e-mail. I was in bed sick for a couple of days.sick with the flu/a virus etc (=ill as a result of flu etc): · Grant Hill played despite being sick with the flu for the past ten days.be sick with worry/fear/exhaustion etc (=so worried etc that you feel sick): · We were dirty, hungry, cold and sick with exhaustion.
especially spoken to be ill, but not seriously ill: · Sarah's not very well - she's got a throat infection.· Jed's Mum says he's not well, so he's staying at home today.
formal ill: · Mrs Hedges is unwell today, so her class will be taken by Mr Collier.· Tom had been unwell for some time but had refused to see a doctor.
British informal ill: · Dad was always out, Mum was often poorly, and I had to look after the rest of the kids.· "I'm afraid your grandmother's very poorly," the nurse on duty said.
informal to be very ill, especially as a result of a serious injury or disease: · You'd better get an ambulance - she's in a pretty bad way.· Martin came back from Africa with malaria, and he was in a pretty bad way for months.
British /death warmed over American spoken to look ill and pale, especially because you did not get enough sleep or are suffering for the effects of too much alcohol: · Kate didn't sleep a wink last night. She looks like death warmed up.· Boy, you look like death warmed over this morning!
slightly ill
informal slightly ill: · I hear you've been a bit under the weather. Are you feeling better now?· Mike's feeling a little under the weather so he couldn't come tonight.
British slightly ill: · I'm fine, thank you, but Elinor's a bit off colour at the moment.· Bruce went to the doctor, feeling a little off colour, and was told that he had anaemia.
feeling slightly ill and tired all the time, for example because you have been working too hard, not eating well etc: · You're run down -- you need a vacation.· A lot of people feel run down in the winter months, when the days are short and there's very little sunlight.
when someone is often ill
a sickly child is often ill: · He was a sickly child with a bad chest and a permanent cough.· Louise, who was often sickly, couldn't join in the other children's games.
formal unhealthy and weak and likely to become ill easily: · Clare was more active than her brother, who had always been a delicate child.· Mr Humphreys' wife was delicate - the doctor was called in once or twice a week.
fairly ill all the time or over a long period of time, and generally not strong and healthy: · When he left Trinidad he was already over 60, frail, and in poor health.
formal not healthy or strong, especially because of old age: · She lives with her grandmother who is elderly and infirm.the infirm (=people who are infirm): · The "Meals on Wheels' service delivers food to the old and infirm.
likely to become ill or to get a particular illness: · As a child she had always been prone to allergies.· The disease had left her weak and prone to all kinds of infections.
someone who imagines they are ill
someone who often thinks that they are ill when they are not and worries too much about their health: · Don't be such a hypochondriac - it's only a cold!· She's a bit of a hypochondriac - always looking up her minor illnesses in a medical book.
to feel ill
British /feel sick American · "Do you feel ill, darling?'' asked Rosie anxiously.· I was feeling ill, so I went home.· Mark said he felt sick, so I've made an appointment with the doctor.
also not feel too good, also not feel good American informal to feel slightly ill: · If you don't feel well the best thing to do is to stay in bed.· "I don't feel very well,'' said Jamie, suddenly going very pale.· Ben's not feeling good this morning. I think it's something he ate.· No, I don't think I'll be coming out tonight. I'm not feeling too good.
spoken informal to feel slightly ill - use this especially when you do not know what is wrong with you: · I felt a bit funny and dizzy, and then the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor.
British spoken to feel ill: · Don't get up if you're feeling rough - I'll bring you some breakfast in bed.· Liz said she was feeling pretty rough yesterday -- I don't think she'll come to work today.
British /feel sick to your stomach American to feel as if you are going to vomit (=bring food up from your stomach): · We'd only been in the car two minutes when David said he felt sick.· When I was pregnant, the smell of coffee made me feel sick to my stomach.
informal feeling weak and tired as a result of illness or drugs: · You shouldn't drive after taking these pills. They're likely to make you feel groggy.groggy from: · I went to see Sally in hospital, but she was still groggy from the anaesthetic.
to feel very weak and as if you are going to become unconscious: · It was a very hot day, and I suddenly felt faint and sick.· If at any time you feel faint or nauseous, stop taking the tablets.
to become ill
British /get/become sick American · It's horrible when you get ill on holiday.· If you take vitamin C every day, it helps to stop you getting sick.· My father first became ill when I was 12, and died a few months later.· People were scared of becoming sick because they couldn't pay the doctor's bills.
also fall sick American to become ill, especially with a long or serious illness: · If you live alone, you often wonder who would look after you if you fell ill.· New Year's Eve revellers fell sick after drinking an orange liquid at a downtown 'rave' party.fall ill with: · It was the first time the president had been back to his office since falling ill with pneumonia in January.
especially British, written to suddenly or unexpectedly become ill: · I heard that her sister had been taken ill and rushed to hospital.be taken ill with: · The band cut short their tour after singer Robert Smith was taken ill with severe stomach pains.
someone who is ill
someone who is ill and is being looked after by a doctor, nurse etc: · St Dominic's Hospital treats about 10,000 patients a year.cancer/leukemia/AIDS etc patients: · He gave a half million pound donation towards the care of AIDs patients.patients with cancer/aids/leukemia etc: · Clinical trials show that some patients with breast cancer do better if they take the drug for five years after surgery.
someone who has a particular illness or who often has a particular illness: · Lupus is a disease of the immune system and nine out of ten sufferers are women.hay fever/asthma/cancer etc sufferer: · The health centre runs a support group for Parkinson's disease sufferers.· Summer can be a nightmare for hay fever sufferers.sufferer from hay fever/asthma/cancer etc: · Many sufferers from depression struggle on for years before seeking help.
someone who is permanently ill and needs to be looked after, especially if they have to stay in bed: · My father's an invalid, and needs constant care.somebody's invalid wife/son etc: · Barbara decided to move her invalid mother to Mississippi, so that she could look after her herself.
people who are ill and need to be helped or treated: · At that time there were no state benefits for the old and the sick.· terrible wartime photographs of the sick and the dying
mentally ill
someone who is mentally ill has an illness of the mind which affects the way that they behave: · Many of these homeless people have been mentally ill at some time.the mentally ill (=people who are mentally ill): · He works in a hostel for the mentally ill.
connected with mental illness or people who are mentally ill: mental hospital/patient/institution: · a hospital ward for non-violent mental patientsmental problem/disorder/breakdown: · We knew she had been having mental problems.
formal permanently and seriously mentally ill, so that you cannot have a normal life - use this in legal contexts or in descriptions of people who lived in the past: · The man, who has attacked 13 women, was judged to be insane.go insane (=become seriously mentally ill): · Sometimes I thought I was going insane.
British crazy especially American mentally ill - use this in conversations or stories, but not in formal, medical, or legal English: · We soon realized that the old man was completely mad.· There's this crazy woman in our town who eats glass.go mad/crazy: · They say she went mad after her family were killed in a fire.
if someone is unstable , their emotional state often changes very suddenly, and they are likely to become angry, violent etc: · Working with Clare every day, I began to realize how unstable she was.emotionally/mentally unstable: · He is emotionally unstable, and his aggressive attitude often culminates in violence.
an old person who is confused has become mentally ill so that they cannot remember things or think clearly: · Aunt Clara had been so sharp, so witty, but now she is just a sad, confused old woman.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
· What’s wrong? Are you ill?
· I’ve been feeling ill since I woke up this morning.
· He looked rather ill when I saw him.
(also get ill informal)· She became ill after eating oysters.
formal (=become ill)· Louise fell ill while she was on holiday.
(=become ill suddenly)· Henry was suddenly taken ill and had to go to the hospital.
· I think it was the heat that made me ill.
adverbs
(=very ill)· Any seriously ill patients are usually sent to a state hospital.
formal (=extremely ill)· She went to visit her grandfather, who was gravely ill.
(=so ill that you might die)· He got news that his mother was critically ill in hospital.
(=having a very serious illness that you will die from)· He is terminally ill with cancer.
(=having a long-term illness that cannot be cured and will not get better)· Chronically ill patients often find it difficult to get travel insurance.
(=having an illness of your mind)· Caring for mentally ill people can be challenging.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=think that the worst possible thing has happened) When it got to midnight and Paul was still not back, I began to assume the worst.
 He was desperately ill with a fever.
· He lived through some of the worst excesses of apartheid in South Africa.
· Your eyesight gradually deteriorates with age.
· Her worst fear was never seeing her children again.
 When she arrived, things just went from bad to worse (=got even worse)!
· He retired early due to ill health.
(also somebody's hearing deteriorates)· The medication seemed to make her hearing get worse.
 The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.
· The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
 I became reasonably well-informed about the subject.
· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture.
· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind.
 Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area.
 a well-matched pair
· Standing on the edge waiting to do your bungee jump is the worst moment.
(=the worst possible situation)· The outbreak of foot and mouth disease was farming's worst nightmare.
 Among causes of air pollution, car exhaust fumes may be the worst offender.
 The mist seemed like a bad omen and Sara’s heart sank a little.
· If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining.
· The ward was packed with seriously ill patients.
· The thought made her feel physically ill.
(=not ready to deal with a difficult situation) The country was ill-prepared to fight another war.
 There was no news and we were prepared for the worst (=expected something very bad).
· Colombia is going through its worst recession in decades.
(=the biggest or most shocking)· Total losses resulting from India's worst financial scandal amounted to Rs31,000 million.
(=the worst thing that might happen)· The worst-case scenario is that it is already too late to do anything about global warming.
· Her mother is seriously ill in hospital.
formal:· a hospital ward for severely ill patients
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
· Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
(=say bad things about them)· She never speaks ill of him.
· As the recession proceeds, things will get worse.
· Measures to slow down traffic on the main street have actually made things worse.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
(=not useful, and causing harm or problems)· It would be worse than useless to try and complain about him.
 It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.
 We only use the very best ingredients.
 He rushed to the bathroom, where he was violently sick.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· The abilities of staff and availability of facilities to care for critically ill patients vary in all areas of health care.· If the infant is critically ill, we talk with them at least twice a day.· In April 1946, Moritz was critically ill.· He was taken to hospital critically ill with severe head injuries - leaving girlfriend Donna Lorenz, 23, speechless.· Last night Suzanne was critically ill in intensive care at Withington Hospital.· It will be the first journal to make immediately available findings that could save or extend the lives of critically ill patients.· The unprovoked attack has left the man critically ill in hospital.
· Certainly those working with the mentally ill or the handicapped or the senile or in health education may properly think it is.· Were these people normal or abnormal? Mentally ill or healthy?· Firstly, the old person must be clinically diagnosed as mentally ill.· The fact that Mississippi continues to hold people in jail simply because they are mentally ill is unacceptable and inhumane.· Two psychiatrists said that although Bourgois was mentally ill they did not believe he needed to be detained further.· The mentally ill are also committing crimes.· Private insurance schemes clearly do not wish to become involved with either the mentally ill or the chronically sick.· Unlike many of the mentally ill, epileptics often have quite a bit of insight into their problem.
· Becky Blandford, who's still seriously ill more than forty eight hours after a hunting accident.· Making matters worse, our system financially punishes people for being seriously ill and not dying quickly enough.· The Marchioness of Blandford is still seriously ill from head injuries after a hunting accident at the weekend.· The Empress, who had been seriously ill, died of diabetes soon afterwards.· The sole survivor, Barry O'Shaughnessy, 19, was seriously ill in hospital last night.· The other man, said to be a workmate, is seriously ill.· Two men were killed in Monday's explosion at Castleford, Yorks, and three are still seriously ill in hospital.· Key forward Tom Cleland was missing after his wife was taken to hospital early this morning seriously ill.
· It reminded her of a conference of terminally ill teetotallers.· Ray, now 69 and terminally ill with liver disease, has repeatedly changed his story over the years.· Theirs had been a terminally ill situation with so few worshippers in so large and expensive a building.· It is a small group of volunteers who counsel patients who are terminally ill.· The hospice movement, in its care of the terminally ill, is the living recognition of these sombre facts.· Who could blame a wife, herself elderly and in poor health, for suggesting suicide to her terminally ill husband?· A high proportion of us die not at home, but in hospitals, clinics and special institutions for the terminally ill.· They represent a group of terminally ill patients and their doctors.
NOUN
· Thus, informal admissions were characterized by a combination of mental ill health and transgression of traditional social role expectations.· Very likely physicians would not recommend the exercise of that or of any other trade as a remedy for ill health.· Some of them were so nasty that they had learned to disguise most symptoms of ill health from her.· There are a whole lot of senators in worse health than Strom Thurmond.· Half of those not employed gave ill health as the reason.· She was starting at zero as she had very poor schooling due to ill health.· But we wanted to explore the causes of ill health further.· In his later years he suffered ill health and his work was curtailed.
· He accused his estranged wife of being paranoid - but said he felt no ill will toward her.· Months of pent-up anger, frustration, and ill will were vented at Scottsdale.· Could she have treated him to similar displays of ill will as she showed her daughter?· Denying his guilt to the last, he said he didn't bear his wife any ill will.· This is accepted as part of the natural order and causes no ill will amongst the Knightly Orders.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • And all of this is inevitable, for Utopians are ill at ease at the sharp end of politics.
  • By the way, most women are very ill at ease when you call them out from the jury pool.
  • He is extremely ill at ease.
  • He looked about him, for once strangely ill at ease, disconcerted to learn that she had ridden off ahead of him.
  • If people are already ill at ease in unfamiliar surroundings the order of service becomes another pressure.
  • Nevertheless, their formality sits ill at ease with Esau's spontaneous show of love.
  • The thought of confinement can make me ill at ease.
  • They looked ill at ease in the same camera frame.
► it’s an ill wind (that blows nobody any good)PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► you would be well/ill advised to do something► at your best/worst/most effective etc
  • Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
  • In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
  • It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
  • Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
  • That augured well for the day.
  • That, at least, augured well.
  • This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
  • The rail service has gone from bad to worse since it was privatised.
  • The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.
  • Things went from bad to worse, and soon the pair were barely talking to each other.
  • As 1931 went from bad to worse the possibility of another marriage began to seem her best hope of salvation.
  • It went from bad to worse as the heavens opened and turned the circuit into one huge puddle.
  • Matters continued to go from bad to worse.
  • Matters went from bad to worse.
  • On Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone from bad to worse.
  • That they are going from bad to worse.
► somebody’s bark is worse than their bite
  • The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
  • All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
  • And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
  • And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
  • Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
  • He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
  • He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
  • Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
  • Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
  • The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
  • Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
  • Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
  • The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
  • Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
  • Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
  • Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
  • Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
  • Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
  • Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
  • And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
  • But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
  • But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
  • Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
  • It brings out the best in us.
  • Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
  • So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
  • Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • A businessman walking to his car was struck by lightning and critically injured as co-workers watched in awe.
  • He was taken to hospital critically ill with severe head injuries - leaving girlfriend Donna Lorenz, 23, speechless.
  • If the infant is critically ill, we talk with them at least twice a day.
  • In April 1946, Moritz was critically ill.
  • Last night Suzanne was critically ill in intensive care at Withington Hospital.
  • The abilities of staff and availability of facilities to care for critically ill patients vary in all areas of health care.
  • Dave always looks ill at ease in a suit.
  • Rehnquist sometimes can appear ill at ease in public.
  • And all of this is inevitable, for Utopians are ill at ease at the sharp end of politics.
  • By the way, most women are very ill at ease when you call them out from the jury pool.
  • He is extremely ill at ease.
  • He looked about him, for once strangely ill at ease, disconcerted to learn that she had ridden off ahead of him.
  • If people are already ill at ease in unfamiliar surroundings the order of service becomes another pressure.
  • Nevertheless, their formality sits ill at ease with Esau's spontaneous show of love.
  • The thought of confinement can make me ill at ease.
  • They looked ill at ease in the same camera frame.
  • Many drivers are their own worst enemy -- driving too close, driving too fast, all the usual faults.
  • My mother was her own worst enemy. She knew she was ill but she did nothing to help herself.
  • In other words, we are our own worst enemy.
  • My father was his own worst enemy.
  • People are their own worst enemies.
  • Players can be real snobs about names, too, so they are their own worst enemies.
  • To what extent would she say she was her own worst enemy?
  • You could say that Gilly is her own worst enemy.
  • I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
  • After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
  • It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
  • There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
  • We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
  • Fearing the worst, police have called in reinforcements to help control the crowds.
  • After I hadn't heard from him for several hours, I began to fear the worst.
  • Rescuers feared the worst for the men trapped in the mine.
  • I knew I was being irrational but I began to fear the worst.
  • Mind you, I feared the worst for this year's crop of pantomimes.
  • Only then did we begin to fear the worst.
  • Rumours about impending changes will occur anyway, and staff not fully informed are likely to fear the worst.
  • Then they called police and stayed up all night -- fearing the worst.
  • There have been bad feelings between area residents and police.
  • Even though Amelia participated so little in school activities, she harbored no ill feelings toward Hyde Park.
  • I figure there had to be some bad feeling.
  • I got a very bad feeling as we pitched into the bathroom and-fumbled for the mouthwash.
  • I have bad feelings for the smugglers, though.
  • It's got bad feelings for me, this room.
  • It was the start of bad feeling between the two.
  • Jane Blasio harbors no ill feelings toward Hicks.
  • There is no bad feeling between us.
  • But her ill-gotten gains will cripple not only her students, but her young country too.
  • It is too late to crack down on the oligarchs or seize their ill-gotten gains.
  • Sadly, the thief who leaves no clues and is careful disposing of his ill-gotten gains is unlikely to be caught.
  • So that was where Spencer wasted some of his ill-gotten gains, was it?
  • The Justice Department alleges the winnings are ill-gotten gains from a money-laundering scheme.
  • The latter were continuing to draw prestige as well as profit from their ill-gotten gains.
  • Yet bankers and government alike say they do not welcome ill-gotten gains.
► in a good/an ill/a bad humour
  • Bad luck for Venus, worse luck for the 12,000 fans, but hey, what can you do?
  • I have to go to secretarial school, worse luck.
  • Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.
  • You're a bad agent and you're worse luck.
  • You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • My worst fears were realized when I saw the test questions.
  • His worst fears were realized and he was arrested.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • At two years and a half, he was taken ill with pneumonia.
  • During the siege of Bristol he was taken ill with the plague and again feared for his life.
  • His sister ate one, and was taken ill.
  • Several of the team were taken ill.
  • Taylor, 47, was taken ill last week while working on his third album in a Florida recording studio.
  • Then Mum had cancer and Dad was taken ill at work.
  • We were just about to go abroad when our usual nanny was taken ill and was advised not to travel.
  • Whilst in Fort William she was taken ill with stomach pains.
  • Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
  • He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
  • I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
  • My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
  • The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
  • Why should you think the worst of me?
  • You always think the worst of me.
  • And the worst was yet to come.
  • Her third night here and it had been the worst one yet.
  • No, the worst ... Yet is she listening now?
  • That was the worst task yet, as Psyche saw when she approached the waterfall.
  • The decision opens the biggest policy rift yet between Holyrood and Westminster.
  • The two have returned from a disastrous holiday in Greecebut the worst is yet to come.
1especially British English suffering from a disease or not feeling well SYN sick American English:  Bridget can’t come – she’s ill. I was feeling ill that day and decided to stay at home.ill with Her husband has been ill with bladder trouble. a hospice for the terminally ill2[only before noun] bad or harmful:  Many people consumed the poisoned oil without ill effects. the neglect and ill treatment of children He was unable to join the army because of ill health.3ill at ease nervous, uncomfortable, or embarrassed:  He always felt shy and ill at ease at parties.4it’s an ill wind (that blows nobody any good) spoken used to say that every problem brings an advantage for someone → ill feeling, ill willCOLLOCATIONSverbsbe ill· What’s wrong? Are you ill?feel ill· I’ve been feeling ill since I woke up this morning.look ill· He looked rather ill when I saw him.become ill (also get ill informal)· She became ill after eating oysters.fall ill formal (=become ill)· Louise fell ill while she was on holiday.be taken ill (=become ill suddenly)· Henry was suddenly taken ill and had to go to the hospital.make somebody ill· I think it was the heat that made me ill.adverbsseriously ill (=very ill)· Any seriously ill patients are usually sent to a state hospital.gravely ill formal (=extremely ill)· She went to visit her grandfather, who was gravely ill.critically ill (=so ill that you might die)· He got news that his mother was critically ill in hospital.terminally ill (=having a very serious illness that you will die from)· He is terminally ill with cancer.chronically ill (=having a long-term illness that cannot be cured and will not get better)· Chronically ill patients often find it difficult to get travel insurance.mentally ill (=having an illness of your mind)· Caring for mentally ill people can be challenging.THESAURUSill [not before noun] especially British English suffering from a disease or not feeling well: · Her mother is seriously ill in hospital.· I woke up feeling really ill.sick especially American English ill: · She’s been sick with the flu.· a sick child· Dan got sick on vacation.not very well [not before noun] ill, but not seriously ill: · Sarah’s not very well – she has a throat infection.unwell [not before noun] formal ill: · The singer had been unwell for some time.· Symptoms include fever, aching muscles, and feeling generally unwell.poorly [not before noun] BrE spoken ill: · Your grandmother’s been very poorly lately.in a bad way [not before noun] very ill because of a serious injury or disease: · You’d better call an ambulance – she looks like she’s in a bad way.be off sick British English, be out sick American English to be not at work because of an illness: · Two teachers were off sick yesterday.slightly illunder the weather (also off colour British English) [not before noun] informal slightly ill: · Sorry I haven’t called you – I’ve been a bit under the weather lately.· You look a bit off colour – are you sure you’re OK?run down [not before noun] feeling slightly ill and tired all the time, for example because you have been working too hard, or not eating well: · Some people take extra vitamins if they are feeling run down.often illin poor health unhealthy and often ill: · Chopin was already in poor health when he arrived on the island.delicate weak and likely to become ill easily: · She was delicate and pale and frequently complained of headaches.· He had a delicate constitution and throughout his adult life suffered from various illnesses.sickly a sickly child is often ill: · He was a sickly child and spent a lot of time at home on his own.· His younger daughter was sickly and died when she was young.
ill1 adjectiveill2 adverbill3 noun
illill2 adverb Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • The animals had been ill-treated by their owner.
  • We were ill-prepared to camp out in the snow.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • If so, it seems ill mannered at best.
  • The Crolgarian police are ill equipped for an investigation of this kind.
Thesaurus
Longman Language Activatorill
especially British suffering from bad health or not feeling well: · Mel was so ill that she had to stay in bed for a month.seriously ill (=very ill): · Apparently Don's wife is seriously ill, and they think it might be cancer.critically ill (=extremely ill): · The baby caught a virus and became critically ill.terminally ill (=so ill that you are going to die): · psychological support for terminally ill patientsmentally ill (=suffering from a mental illness): · Mentally ill patients have the same rights as anyone else.lie ill (=be ill in bed): · All that week, Catherine lay ill, drifting in and out of consciousness.
especially American ill: · Where's Mary today? I hope she's not sick again.· Sheila spent months looking after her sick mother.be off sick (=not at work or school because of illness): · Gary phoned to say that he's off sick today.be off work sick/be in bed sick: · I'm sorry I didn't reply to your e-mail. I was in bed sick for a couple of days.sick with the flu/a virus etc (=ill as a result of flu etc): · Grant Hill played despite being sick with the flu for the past ten days.be sick with worry/fear/exhaustion etc (=so worried etc that you feel sick): · We were dirty, hungry, cold and sick with exhaustion.
especially spoken to be ill, but not seriously ill: · Sarah's not very well - she's got a throat infection.· Jed's Mum says he's not well, so he's staying at home today.
formal ill: · Mrs Hedges is unwell today, so her class will be taken by Mr Collier.· Tom had been unwell for some time but had refused to see a doctor.
British informal ill: · Dad was always out, Mum was often poorly, and I had to look after the rest of the kids.· "I'm afraid your grandmother's very poorly," the nurse on duty said.
informal to be very ill, especially as a result of a serious injury or disease: · You'd better get an ambulance - she's in a pretty bad way.· Martin came back from Africa with malaria, and he was in a pretty bad way for months.
British /death warmed over American spoken to look ill and pale, especially because you did not get enough sleep or are suffering for the effects of too much alcohol: · Kate didn't sleep a wink last night. She looks like death warmed up.· Boy, you look like death warmed over this morning!
slightly ill
informal slightly ill: · I hear you've been a bit under the weather. Are you feeling better now?· Mike's feeling a little under the weather so he couldn't come tonight.
British slightly ill: · I'm fine, thank you, but Elinor's a bit off colour at the moment.· Bruce went to the doctor, feeling a little off colour, and was told that he had anaemia.
feeling slightly ill and tired all the time, for example because you have been working too hard, not eating well etc: · You're run down -- you need a vacation.· A lot of people feel run down in the winter months, when the days are short and there's very little sunlight.
when someone is often ill
a sickly child is often ill: · He was a sickly child with a bad chest and a permanent cough.· Louise, who was often sickly, couldn't join in the other children's games.
formal unhealthy and weak and likely to become ill easily: · Clare was more active than her brother, who had always been a delicate child.· Mr Humphreys' wife was delicate - the doctor was called in once or twice a week.
fairly ill all the time or over a long period of time, and generally not strong and healthy: · When he left Trinidad he was already over 60, frail, and in poor health.
formal not healthy or strong, especially because of old age: · She lives with her grandmother who is elderly and infirm.the infirm (=people who are infirm): · The "Meals on Wheels' service delivers food to the old and infirm.
likely to become ill or to get a particular illness: · As a child she had always been prone to allergies.· The disease had left her weak and prone to all kinds of infections.
someone who imagines they are ill
someone who often thinks that they are ill when they are not and worries too much about their health: · Don't be such a hypochondriac - it's only a cold!· She's a bit of a hypochondriac - always looking up her minor illnesses in a medical book.
to feel ill
British /feel sick American · "Do you feel ill, darling?'' asked Rosie anxiously.· I was feeling ill, so I went home.· Mark said he felt sick, so I've made an appointment with the doctor.
also not feel too good, also not feel good American informal to feel slightly ill: · If you don't feel well the best thing to do is to stay in bed.· "I don't feel very well,'' said Jamie, suddenly going very pale.· Ben's not feeling good this morning. I think it's something he ate.· No, I don't think I'll be coming out tonight. I'm not feeling too good.
spoken informal to feel slightly ill - use this especially when you do not know what is wrong with you: · I felt a bit funny and dizzy, and then the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor.
British spoken to feel ill: · Don't get up if you're feeling rough - I'll bring you some breakfast in bed.· Liz said she was feeling pretty rough yesterday -- I don't think she'll come to work today.
British /feel sick to your stomach American to feel as if you are going to vomit (=bring food up from your stomach): · We'd only been in the car two minutes when David said he felt sick.· When I was pregnant, the smell of coffee made me feel sick to my stomach.
informal feeling weak and tired as a result of illness or drugs: · You shouldn't drive after taking these pills. They're likely to make you feel groggy.groggy from: · I went to see Sally in hospital, but she was still groggy from the anaesthetic.
to feel very weak and as if you are going to become unconscious: · It was a very hot day, and I suddenly felt faint and sick.· If at any time you feel faint or nauseous, stop taking the tablets.
to become ill
British /get/become sick American · It's horrible when you get ill on holiday.· If you take vitamin C every day, it helps to stop you getting sick.· My father first became ill when I was 12, and died a few months later.· People were scared of becoming sick because they couldn't pay the doctor's bills.
also fall sick American to become ill, especially with a long or serious illness: · If you live alone, you often wonder who would look after you if you fell ill.· New Year's Eve revellers fell sick after drinking an orange liquid at a downtown 'rave' party.fall ill with: · It was the first time the president had been back to his office since falling ill with pneumonia in January.
especially British, written to suddenly or unexpectedly become ill: · I heard that her sister had been taken ill and rushed to hospital.be taken ill with: · The band cut short their tour after singer Robert Smith was taken ill with severe stomach pains.
someone who is ill
someone who is ill and is being looked after by a doctor, nurse etc: · St Dominic's Hospital treats about 10,000 patients a year.cancer/leukemia/AIDS etc patients: · He gave a half million pound donation towards the care of AIDs patients.patients with cancer/aids/leukemia etc: · Clinical trials show that some patients with breast cancer do better if they take the drug for five years after surgery.
someone who has a particular illness or who often has a particular illness: · Lupus is a disease of the immune system and nine out of ten sufferers are women.hay fever/asthma/cancer etc sufferer: · The health centre runs a support group for Parkinson's disease sufferers.· Summer can be a nightmare for hay fever sufferers.sufferer from hay fever/asthma/cancer etc: · Many sufferers from depression struggle on for years before seeking help.
someone who is permanently ill and needs to be looked after, especially if they have to stay in bed: · My father's an invalid, and needs constant care.somebody's invalid wife/son etc: · Barbara decided to move her invalid mother to Mississippi, so that she could look after her herself.
people who are ill and need to be helped or treated: · At that time there were no state benefits for the old and the sick.· terrible wartime photographs of the sick and the dying
to show that something is going to happen
to be a sign that something is very likely to happen: · Dark clouds usually mean rain.mean (that): · High interest rates and high inflation mean a recession is not far away.· His new responsibilities at work mean Leroy will rarely see his children.take something to mean (that) (=believe that something is a sign of something): · Stein took off his glasses and rested his head on the back of the chair. I took this to mean that he wasn't going to say any more.
if a situation or action spells trouble, problems etc, it makes you expect that something bad will happen, because there are clear signs that it will: · No one thinks this could spell the closure of the firm, but things could be better.· Out-of-town retail developments often spell the death of independent high street shops.
formal to be a sign that something good or bad is likely to happen in the future: · Gandalf's late arrival did not bode well.bode well/ill for: · The drop in profits bodes ill for Japan's semiconductor industry.· The high early viewing figures bode well for writers Lane and Harvey, who hope to achieve network success.
to be a sign that something is going to happen soon, especially something important - used especially in literature or newspapers: · In February, the first storks arrive, heralding spring.· What changes do the attacks herald for everyday life in the US?· His prosecution perhaps heralds an end to the systematic corruption that has stained this government's reputation.herald something as: · Taxol has been heralded as a breakthrough in cancer treatment.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=think that the worst possible thing has happened) When it got to midnight and Paul was still not back, I began to assume the worst.
 He was desperately ill with a fever.
· He lived through some of the worst excesses of apartheid in South Africa.
· Your eyesight gradually deteriorates with age.
· Her worst fear was never seeing her children again.
 When she arrived, things just went from bad to worse (=got even worse)!
· He retired early due to ill health.
(also somebody's hearing deteriorates)· The medication seemed to make her hearing get worse.
 The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.
· The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
 I became reasonably well-informed about the subject.
· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture.
· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind.
 Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area.
 a well-matched pair
· Standing on the edge waiting to do your bungee jump is the worst moment.
(=the worst possible situation)· The outbreak of foot and mouth disease was farming's worst nightmare.
 Among causes of air pollution, car exhaust fumes may be the worst offender.
 The mist seemed like a bad omen and Sara’s heart sank a little.
· If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining.
· The ward was packed with seriously ill patients.
· The thought made her feel physically ill.
(=not ready to deal with a difficult situation) The country was ill-prepared to fight another war.
 There was no news and we were prepared for the worst (=expected something very bad).
· Colombia is going through its worst recession in decades.
(=the biggest or most shocking)· Total losses resulting from India's worst financial scandal amounted to Rs31,000 million.
(=the worst thing that might happen)· The worst-case scenario is that it is already too late to do anything about global warming.
· Her mother is seriously ill in hospital.
formal:· a hospital ward for severely ill patients
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
· Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
(=say bad things about them)· She never speaks ill of him.
· As the recession proceeds, things will get worse.
· Measures to slow down traffic on the main street have actually made things worse.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
(=not useful, and causing harm or problems)· It would be worse than useless to try and complain about him.
 It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.
 We only use the very best ingredients.
 He rushed to the bathroom, where he was violently sick.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
· Many of them are in fact very poor and can ill afford their habit.· The nation could ill afford a logy commander-in-chief in the event of nuclear attack.· But Kevin Curren struck some crucial blows - runs that Warwickshire could ill afford to concede at this stage of the match.· Often it is something they can ill afford.· He could ill afford to lose such support in 1946, the year of the mid-term elections.· Sotheby's can ill afford to have its auction prices called into question.· There may be no alternative to leave of absence, even though the nurse can ill afford the loss of income.· Hadn't she already taken time off work which she could ill afford in her sister's interests?
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • The senator can ill afford another scandal.
  • If land is not suitable for efficient farming, we can ill afford it being used for inefficient agriculture.
  • It does not make sense to squander important resources that the nation can ill afford to lose.
  • Many of them are in fact very poor and can ill afford their habit.
  • Often it is something they can ill afford.
  • Sotheby's can ill afford to have its auction prices called into question.
  • Surely it would be a drain on Party resources that it can ill afford.
  • There may be no alternative to leave of absence, even though the nurse can ill afford the loss of income.
  • Yet it is an area which practitioners can ill afford to ignore.
  • The candidates clearly did not want to speak ill of each other during the campaign.
  • But she never speaks ill of anyone.
  • He spoke ill of me to his friends.
  • I know speaking ill of the dead and all that.
  • Surely it is better to speak ill of the dead than of the living.
  • The Newleys' acquaintances spoke well of the dead in order to think ill of the living.
  • You wish to think all the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of any body.
  • A restrained virility that boded ill for anyone so incredibly foolish as to even think of challenging his authority.
  • It bodes ill that Mr Major, two-and-a-half years into office, still feels on trial.
  • Such ruthless distrust, she thought, boded ill.
  • The coincidence with union action boded ill for the survey; response rates to the questionnaire seemed likely to be very low.
  • This animosity boded ill for their future cooperation in East Prussia.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► you would be well/ill advised to do something► at your best/worst/most effective etc
  • Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
  • In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
  • It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
  • Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
  • That augured well for the day.
  • That, at least, augured well.
  • This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
  • The rail service has gone from bad to worse since it was privatised.
  • The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.
  • Things went from bad to worse, and soon the pair were barely talking to each other.
  • As 1931 went from bad to worse the possibility of another marriage began to seem her best hope of salvation.
  • It went from bad to worse as the heavens opened and turned the circuit into one huge puddle.
  • Matters continued to go from bad to worse.
  • Matters went from bad to worse.
  • On Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone from bad to worse.
  • That they are going from bad to worse.
► somebody’s bark is worse than their bite
  • The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
  • All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
  • And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
  • And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
  • Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
  • He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
  • He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
  • Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
  • Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
  • The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
  • Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
  • Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
  • The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
  • Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
  • Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
  • Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
  • Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
  • Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
  • Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
  • And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
  • But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
  • But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
  • Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
  • It brings out the best in us.
  • Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
  • So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
  • Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • A businessman walking to his car was struck by lightning and critically injured as co-workers watched in awe.
  • He was taken to hospital critically ill with severe head injuries - leaving girlfriend Donna Lorenz, 23, speechless.
  • If the infant is critically ill, we talk with them at least twice a day.
  • In April 1946, Moritz was critically ill.
  • Last night Suzanne was critically ill in intensive care at Withington Hospital.
  • The abilities of staff and availability of facilities to care for critically ill patients vary in all areas of health care.
  • Dave always looks ill at ease in a suit.
  • Rehnquist sometimes can appear ill at ease in public.
  • And all of this is inevitable, for Utopians are ill at ease at the sharp end of politics.
  • By the way, most women are very ill at ease when you call them out from the jury pool.
  • He is extremely ill at ease.
  • He looked about him, for once strangely ill at ease, disconcerted to learn that she had ridden off ahead of him.
  • If people are already ill at ease in unfamiliar surroundings the order of service becomes another pressure.
  • Nevertheless, their formality sits ill at ease with Esau's spontaneous show of love.
  • The thought of confinement can make me ill at ease.
  • They looked ill at ease in the same camera frame.
  • Many drivers are their own worst enemy -- driving too close, driving too fast, all the usual faults.
  • My mother was her own worst enemy. She knew she was ill but she did nothing to help herself.
  • In other words, we are our own worst enemy.
  • My father was his own worst enemy.
  • People are their own worst enemies.
  • Players can be real snobs about names, too, so they are their own worst enemies.
  • To what extent would she say she was her own worst enemy?
  • You could say that Gilly is her own worst enemy.
  • I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
  • After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
  • It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
  • There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
  • We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
  • Fearing the worst, police have called in reinforcements to help control the crowds.
  • After I hadn't heard from him for several hours, I began to fear the worst.
  • Rescuers feared the worst for the men trapped in the mine.
  • I knew I was being irrational but I began to fear the worst.
  • Mind you, I feared the worst for this year's crop of pantomimes.
  • Only then did we begin to fear the worst.
  • Rumours about impending changes will occur anyway, and staff not fully informed are likely to fear the worst.
  • Then they called police and stayed up all night -- fearing the worst.
  • There have been bad feelings between area residents and police.
  • Even though Amelia participated so little in school activities, she harbored no ill feelings toward Hyde Park.
  • I figure there had to be some bad feeling.
  • I got a very bad feeling as we pitched into the bathroom and-fumbled for the mouthwash.
  • I have bad feelings for the smugglers, though.
  • It's got bad feelings for me, this room.
  • It was the start of bad feeling between the two.
  • Jane Blasio harbors no ill feelings toward Hicks.
  • There is no bad feeling between us.
  • But her ill-gotten gains will cripple not only her students, but her young country too.
  • It is too late to crack down on the oligarchs or seize their ill-gotten gains.
  • Sadly, the thief who leaves no clues and is careful disposing of his ill-gotten gains is unlikely to be caught.
  • So that was where Spencer wasted some of his ill-gotten gains, was it?
  • The Justice Department alleges the winnings are ill-gotten gains from a money-laundering scheme.
  • The latter were continuing to draw prestige as well as profit from their ill-gotten gains.
  • Yet bankers and government alike say they do not welcome ill-gotten gains.
► in a good/an ill/a bad humour
  • Bad luck for Venus, worse luck for the 12,000 fans, but hey, what can you do?
  • I have to go to secretarial school, worse luck.
  • Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.
  • You're a bad agent and you're worse luck.
  • You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • My worst fears were realized when I saw the test questions.
  • His worst fears were realized and he was arrested.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • At two years and a half, he was taken ill with pneumonia.
  • During the siege of Bristol he was taken ill with the plague and again feared for his life.
  • His sister ate one, and was taken ill.
  • Several of the team were taken ill.
  • Taylor, 47, was taken ill last week while working on his third album in a Florida recording studio.
  • Then Mum had cancer and Dad was taken ill at work.
  • We were just about to go abroad when our usual nanny was taken ill and was advised not to travel.
  • Whilst in Fort William she was taken ill with stomach pains.
  • Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
  • He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
  • I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
  • My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
  • The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
  • Why should you think the worst of me?
  • You always think the worst of me.
  • And the worst was yet to come.
  • Her third night here and it had been the worst one yet.
  • No, the worst ... Yet is she listening now?
  • That was the worst task yet, as Psyche saw when she approached the waterfall.
  • The decision opens the biggest policy rift yet between Holyrood and Westminster.
  • The two have returned from a disastrous holiday in Greecebut the worst is yet to come.
1somebody can ill afford (to do) something to be unable to do or have something without making the situation you are in very difficult:  I was losing weight which I could ill afford to lose. Most gamblers can ill afford their habit.2think/speak ill of somebody formal to think or say unpleasant things about someone:  She really believes you should never speak ill of the dead.3bode ill formal to give you a reason to think that something bad will happen:  The look on his face boded ill for somebody.
ill1 adjectiveill2 adverbill3 noun
illill3 noun Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • Even though I don't agree with him, I do not wish Baxter any ill.
  • Tuesday's game had to be cancelled because of illness.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • In the book, Godwin eloquently describes in words and photographs the ills our land is prey to.
  • That was the rich man's panacea for the litany of ills of the poor.
  • The Deputy Governor of Bullwood provided a comprehensive analysis of the system's ills before the Sub-Committee.
Thesaurus
THESAURUS
a strong emotion that you feel because someone has behaved badly or because a situation seems bad or unfair: · Andrea still feels a lot of anger towards her mom, who left when she was a little girl.· I’ve said some things in anger that have almost cost me my marriage.
slight anger or impatience: · He expressed annoyance at the way his comments had been misinterpreted.· The meetings were held in secret, much to the annoyance of some members of Congress.
a feeling of being annoyed and impatient, especially because something keeps happening or someone keeps saying something: · He could not hide his irritation at her persistent questioning.· Unwanted sales calls are a source of irritation for many people.
a feeling of being annoyed, especially because you cannot do what you want or because you cannot change or control a situation: · You can imagine my frustration when I found out that the next bus didn’t leave till 4 hours later.· There is a growing sense of frustration over the situation in Burma.· The government has expressed frustration at the slow legal process.
a feeling of being very annoyed because you cannot control a situation, learn to do something, or understand something, even though you are trying very hard: · Isaac sighed in exasperation.· Exasperation at the team’s lack of success was evident among the fans.
anger because you think you are being treated badly or unfairly: · The sudden increase in the numbers of immigrants has caused resentment among local people.
anger and surprise about an unfair situation: · His voice sounded full of indignation.· The scandal caused righteous indignation among opposition politicians.
anger between two people because of something that has happened: · I had no ill feeling towards him.
British English, rancor American English formal a feeling of anger and hatred towards someone who you cannot forgive because they harmed you in the past: · Even though he had lost the court case, he had shown no rancour.
formal anger, especially anger that is unreasonable: · He vented his spleen (=said why he was angry)against the airline in an article in the Times.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=think that the worst possible thing has happened) When it got to midnight and Paul was still not back, I began to assume the worst.
 He was desperately ill with a fever.
· He lived through some of the worst excesses of apartheid in South Africa.
· Your eyesight gradually deteriorates with age.
· Her worst fear was never seeing her children again.
 When she arrived, things just went from bad to worse (=got even worse)!
· He retired early due to ill health.
(also somebody's hearing deteriorates)· The medication seemed to make her hearing get worse.
 The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.
· The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
 I became reasonably well-informed about the subject.
· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture.
· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind.
 Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area.
 a well-matched pair
· Standing on the edge waiting to do your bungee jump is the worst moment.
(=the worst possible situation)· The outbreak of foot and mouth disease was farming's worst nightmare.
 Among causes of air pollution, car exhaust fumes may be the worst offender.
 The mist seemed like a bad omen and Sara’s heart sank a little.
· If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining.
· The ward was packed with seriously ill patients.
· The thought made her feel physically ill.
(=not ready to deal with a difficult situation) The country was ill-prepared to fight another war.
 There was no news and we were prepared for the worst (=expected something very bad).
· Colombia is going through its worst recession in decades.
(=the biggest or most shocking)· Total losses resulting from India's worst financial scandal amounted to Rs31,000 million.
(=the worst thing that might happen)· The worst-case scenario is that it is already too late to do anything about global warming.
· Her mother is seriously ill in hospital.
formal:· a hospital ward for severely ill patients
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
· Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
(=say bad things about them)· She never speaks ill of him.
· As the recession proceeds, things will get worse.
· Measures to slow down traffic on the main street have actually made things worse.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
(=not useful, and causing harm or problems)· It would be worse than useless to try and complain about him.
 It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.
 We only use the very best ingredients.
 He rushed to the bathroom, where he was violently sick.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· Immigrant workers, easy scapegoats for the newly reunited country's economic ills, have been the latest victims of bigoted violence.· As well as Swindon's economic ills, she's hoping Dons can help cure her back pains.· The mullahs were no better at curing characteristic third world socio-economic ills than the secular regimes they despised.· Her comments on Radio Derby came as Tories tried to shift the blame for Britain's economic ills elsewhere.· Investment is often portrayed as a cure-all for the economic ills of rich countries.· From this perspective democratic politics, and the two-party system in particular, was the problem and the cause of our economic ills.· A remedy for economic ills is suggested.· Most corporate acquisitions achieve little for society as whole and tend to worsen economic ills in the older cities.
· Poor housing and other social ills provide no kind of reason for riot, arson and killing.· Television is often blamed for all kinds of social ills!
VERB
· Like Euripides she believed the sea could cure the ills of man.· I believe my violence will cure their ills!
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • Voters are looking for fresh solutions to the nation's ills.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► you would be well/ill advised to do something► at your best/worst/most effective etc
  • Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
  • In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
  • It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
  • Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
  • That augured well for the day.
  • That, at least, augured well.
  • This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
  • The rail service has gone from bad to worse since it was privatised.
  • The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.
  • Things went from bad to worse, and soon the pair were barely talking to each other.
  • As 1931 went from bad to worse the possibility of another marriage began to seem her best hope of salvation.
  • It went from bad to worse as the heavens opened and turned the circuit into one huge puddle.
  • Matters continued to go from bad to worse.
  • Matters went from bad to worse.
  • On Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone from bad to worse.
  • That they are going from bad to worse.
► somebody’s bark is worse than their bite
  • The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
  • All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
  • And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
  • And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
  • Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
  • He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
  • He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
  • Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
  • Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
  • The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
  • Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
  • Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
  • The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
  • Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
  • Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
  • Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
  • Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
  • Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
  • Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
  • And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
  • But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
  • But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
  • Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
  • It brings out the best in us.
  • Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
  • So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
  • Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • A businessman walking to his car was struck by lightning and critically injured as co-workers watched in awe.
  • He was taken to hospital critically ill with severe head injuries - leaving girlfriend Donna Lorenz, 23, speechless.
  • If the infant is critically ill, we talk with them at least twice a day.
  • In April 1946, Moritz was critically ill.
  • Last night Suzanne was critically ill in intensive care at Withington Hospital.
  • The abilities of staff and availability of facilities to care for critically ill patients vary in all areas of health care.
  • Dave always looks ill at ease in a suit.
  • Rehnquist sometimes can appear ill at ease in public.
  • And all of this is inevitable, for Utopians are ill at ease at the sharp end of politics.
  • By the way, most women are very ill at ease when you call them out from the jury pool.
  • He is extremely ill at ease.
  • He looked about him, for once strangely ill at ease, disconcerted to learn that she had ridden off ahead of him.
  • If people are already ill at ease in unfamiliar surroundings the order of service becomes another pressure.
  • Nevertheless, their formality sits ill at ease with Esau's spontaneous show of love.
  • The thought of confinement can make me ill at ease.
  • They looked ill at ease in the same camera frame.
  • Many drivers are their own worst enemy -- driving too close, driving too fast, all the usual faults.
  • My mother was her own worst enemy. She knew she was ill but she did nothing to help herself.
  • In other words, we are our own worst enemy.
  • My father was his own worst enemy.
  • People are their own worst enemies.
  • Players can be real snobs about names, too, so they are their own worst enemies.
  • To what extent would she say she was her own worst enemy?
  • You could say that Gilly is her own worst enemy.
  • I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
  • After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
  • It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
  • There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
  • We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
  • Fearing the worst, police have called in reinforcements to help control the crowds.
  • After I hadn't heard from him for several hours, I began to fear the worst.
  • Rescuers feared the worst for the men trapped in the mine.
  • I knew I was being irrational but I began to fear the worst.
  • Mind you, I feared the worst for this year's crop of pantomimes.
  • Only then did we begin to fear the worst.
  • Rumours about impending changes will occur anyway, and staff not fully informed are likely to fear the worst.
  • Then they called police and stayed up all night -- fearing the worst.
  • There have been bad feelings between area residents and police.
  • Even though Amelia participated so little in school activities, she harbored no ill feelings toward Hyde Park.
  • I figure there had to be some bad feeling.
  • I got a very bad feeling as we pitched into the bathroom and-fumbled for the mouthwash.
  • I have bad feelings for the smugglers, though.
  • It's got bad feelings for me, this room.
  • It was the start of bad feeling between the two.
  • Jane Blasio harbors no ill feelings toward Hicks.
  • There is no bad feeling between us.
  • But her ill-gotten gains will cripple not only her students, but her young country too.
  • It is too late to crack down on the oligarchs or seize their ill-gotten gains.
  • Sadly, the thief who leaves no clues and is careful disposing of his ill-gotten gains is unlikely to be caught.
  • So that was where Spencer wasted some of his ill-gotten gains, was it?
  • The Justice Department alleges the winnings are ill-gotten gains from a money-laundering scheme.
  • The latter were continuing to draw prestige as well as profit from their ill-gotten gains.
  • Yet bankers and government alike say they do not welcome ill-gotten gains.
► in a good/an ill/a bad humour
  • Bad luck for Venus, worse luck for the 12,000 fans, but hey, what can you do?
  • I have to go to secretarial school, worse luck.
  • Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.
  • You're a bad agent and you're worse luck.
  • You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • My worst fears were realized when I saw the test questions.
  • His worst fears were realized and he was arrested.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • At two years and a half, he was taken ill with pneumonia.
  • During the siege of Bristol he was taken ill with the plague and again feared for his life.
  • His sister ate one, and was taken ill.
  • Several of the team were taken ill.
  • Taylor, 47, was taken ill last week while working on his third album in a Florida recording studio.
  • Then Mum had cancer and Dad was taken ill at work.
  • We were just about to go abroad when our usual nanny was taken ill and was advised not to travel.
  • Whilst in Fort William she was taken ill with stomach pains.
  • Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
  • He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
  • I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
  • My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
  • The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
  • Why should you think the worst of me?
  • You always think the worst of me.
  • And the worst was yet to come.
  • Her third night here and it had been the worst one yet.
  • No, the worst ... Yet is she listening now?
  • That was the worst task yet, as Psyche saw when she approached the waterfall.
  • The decision opens the biggest policy rift yet between Holyrood and Westminster.
  • The two have returned from a disastrous holiday in Greecebut the worst is yet to come.
1ills [plural] problems and difficulties:  He wants to cure all the ills of the world.2[uncountable] formal harm, evil, or bad luck:  She did not like Matthew but she would never wish him ill.
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