- 1(especially in compounds) badly or in an unpleasant way The animals had been grossly ill-treated.
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- 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. I can ill afford the time or the money for a vacation. Idioms
to say or think bad things about someone Don't speak ill of the dead.
Check pronunciation: ill