Trouble; distress; misfortune; adversity.
"The sudden change in weather brought an ill upon our picnic plans that no amount of preparation could have prevented."
"The doctor said his ill was caused by a severe food poisoning."
Usage: Do not use "ill" as a noun to mean trouble or misfortune, as this usage is archaic and incorrect in modern English. Instead, refer to such conditions simply as "trouble," "distress," or "adversity."
presaging ill fortune
"ill omens"
"ill predictions"
"my words with inauspicious thunderings shook heaven"
"a dead and ominous silence prevailed"
"a by-election at a time highly unpropitious for the Government"
Evil; wicked (of people).
"The town elders feared that the neighboring village was led by an ill man who sought to destroy them through deceit and cruelty."
In plain English: Ill means feeling sick or unwell.
"She felt too ill to leave the house today."
Usage: Use "ill" as an adjective to describe someone who is morally bad or wicked, though this specific meaning is now rare in modern speech. In most everyday contexts, it functions as the opposite of "well" to indicate sickness or poor health.
(`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well
"he was ill prepared"
"it ill befits a man to betray old friends"
"the car runs badly"
"he performed badly on the exam"
"the team played poorly"
"ill-fitting clothes"
"an ill-conceived plan"
with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely or hardly
"we can ill afford to buy a new car just now"
Not well; imperfectly, badly
"The old bridge is ill maintained and looks like it might collapse at any moment."
"The driver was ill prepared for the heavy snow."
Usage: The word "ill" is commonly used as an adjective to describe poor health or bad conditions, but it is rarely used in modern English as an adverb. Instead of saying someone performed an action "ill," you should typically use the adverb "badly."
The word "ill" comes from the Old Norse adjective íllr, meaning evil or wicked. It traveled into Middle English as ille and eventually became part of modern English with its current sense of being sick or in poor health.