ill
gb/ˈɪl/ us/ˈɪl/
A2
English
~ 2500
beteg, rosszul van, káros, rosszul, nem megfelelően, baj, probléma
A2
1
beteg
A1
rosszul van
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] feels ill
She has been feeling ill since yesterday.
Tegnap óta rosszul érzi magát.
He became ill after eating the seafood.
Megbetegedett, miután evett a tenger gyümölcseiből.
The children were ill with the flu.
Learner examples
I feel ill today.
Ma rosszul érzem magam.
He is very ill and cannot go to work.
Nagyon beteg, ezért nem tud munkába menni.
My sister became ill after the trip.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ill' with 'injured'. 'Ill' refers to sickness, not physical harm from an accident.
Meaning
Physically sick or unwell
Collocations
feel ill
|become ill
|fall ill
|seriously ill
|critically ill
Synonyms
sick ('Sick' is more common in American English, while 'ill' is slightly more formal in British English.)
Antonyms
healthy ('Healthy' describes being in good physical condition, the opposite of being ill.)
Themes
health
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not feeling well because of sickness.
Experiencing poor health or suffering from a disease or sickness.
B2
2
káros
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] has ill effects
The policy had ill effects on the economy.
A szakpolitika káros hatással volt a gazdaságra.
Smoking has many ill consequences for your health.
A dohányzásnak számos káros következménye van az egészségedre nézve.
He fell under the ill influence of a bad crowd.
Learner examples
Too much sugar has ill effects on health.
A túl sok cukor káros hatással van az egészségre.
Bad friends can have an ill influence.
A rossz barátok káros hatással lehetnek az emberre.
The storm had ill results for the farmers.
Meaning
Harmful or damaging
Collocations
ill effects
|ill consequences
|ill influence
Synonyms
harmful ('Harmful' is more common in everyday use; 'ill' is often used in set phrases.)
Antonyms
beneficial ('Beneficial' means producing good results, the opposite of harmful.)
Themes
society
|problems
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Causing bad results or problems.
Likely to cause harm, trouble, or negative effects.
B2
3
rosszul
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] [does something] ill
He was ill prepared for the exam.
Nem volt megfelelően felkészülve a vizsgára.
The workers were ill treated by their employer.
A munkáltatójuk rosszul bánt a munkásokkal.
She was ill suited to the role.
Learner examples
He was ill prepared for the trip.
Nem volt megfelelően felkészülve az útra.
The man was ill treated by others.
A férfival rosszul bántak mások.
She is ill suited for this job.
Meaning
Badly or poorly
Collocations
ill prepared
|ill treated
|ill suited
Synonyms
badly ('Badly' is more common; 'ill' is formal or used in fixed phrases.)
Antonyms
well ('Well' means in a good way, the opposite of badly.)
Themes
communication
|behavior
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Doing something in a bad way.
In a bad, unfavorable, or improper way.
NOUN
B2
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] suffers an ill
"Poverty is one of the great social ills of our time."
„A szegénység korunk egyik nagy társadalmi baja.”
"They are working to cure the ills caused by corruption."
„A korrupció okozta bajok orvoslásán dolgoznak.”
"Education can address many of society's ills."
Learner examples
"Poverty is a big social ill."
„A szegénység nagy társadalmi probléma.”
"The new law will help fight many ills."
„Az új törvény sok problémát segít majd leküzdeni.”
"We must try to cure these ills."
Meaning
Harm or trouble
Collocations
social ills
|cure an ill
|combat ills
Synonyms
harm ('Harm' is more common; 'ill' is formal and often plural in this sense.)
Antonyms
benefit ('Benefit' means something good or helpful, the opposite of harm.)
Themes
society
|problems
|core_vocabulary
Definition
(Formal) Harm or problems that happen to someone.
An instance of harm, trouble, or difficulty caused to someone or something.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ill
IPA
GB/ˈɪl/
US/ˈɪl/
Syllables & stress
ill (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ill)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ill
- Comparative: iller, worse
- Superlative: illest, worst
Noun
- Base: ill
- Plural: ill, ills
Word family
Expressions
fall ill
1/fˈɔl ˈɪl/
fixed phrase
Become sick or unwell
To start to be sick.
Examples
- "Several passengers fell ill after the meal."
- "He fell ill on his way home."
ill at ease
1/ˈɪl ˈæt ˈiz/
fixed phrase
Feeling uncomfortable or awkward
Feeling not relaxed and uncomfortable in a place or situation.
Examples
- "He seemed ill at ease during the interview."
- "She was ill at ease with strangers."
ill will
1/ˈɪl wˈɪl/
fixed phrase
Hostile or unfriendly feelings
A feeling of not liking someone and wanting bad things for them.
Examples
- "There was much ill will between the two families."
- "He bore her no ill will despite their argument."
speak ill of [someone]
1/spˈik ˈɪl əv sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
Say bad things about someone
To talk about someone in an unkind way when they are not there.
Examples
- "You should not speak ill of the dead."
- "She spoke ill of her former boss."