1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in evils
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ills
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—
Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
Despite so many errors, The Information is now the paper of record on the ills of Nvidia.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
Avi Schiffmann, the company’s 23-year-old CEO, has been cast as a misanthropic tech founder emblematic of Silicon Valley’s ills.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
There are people like myself who don’t agree with the extreme policies of both parties realizing that neither side has all the answers to solve the nation’s ills.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
An expensive renovation to raise its foundation protected Samy’s studio from the elements; high above it all, the veranda provided a stunning, unobstructed view of poverty and all its ills.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Yet football, which the Ivies practically invented—ills and all—remains a different beast.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Instead, the future of emergency response should be one in which 911 is the gateway to a more comprehensive set of professional public health and conflict resolution responders focused on the kind of community conflicts and social ills that so often precipitate a 911 call.
—S. Rebecca Neusteter, Time, 23 Nov. 2025
That solves a lot of problems, a lot of ills of society.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ills
Noun
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If your plants were plagued by pests or diseases during the growing season, leaving diseased plant debris in your garden allows problems to overwinter and reinfect your plants in spring.—
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When making cuts, prune at a 45-degree angle to help water run off and prevent diseases.—
Noun
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In addition to a whirlwind of emotional sequences, the back half of the season is finally beginning to provide some answers about the Upside Down and the evils that Hawkins has been facing this whole time.—
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Perhaps the phone call was deemed the lesser of two evils.—
Noun
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What traits, decisions, or misfortunes exceed a person’s jurisdiction?—
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Adamolekun took the helm of Red Lobster in August 2024 after a series of misfortunes at the once-failing casual-dining chain.—
Noun
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
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In 2010, two years before his death at 82 from complications of heart and lung ailments, Reisman founded Table Tennis Nation.—
Noun
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Righting a couple of wrongs that everybody was talking about.—
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Was this award created, to some degree, to right Emmy wrongs?—
Noun
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Different tragedies, but the same grief for a community betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect and serve.—
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The book captures powerfully the rich possibilities that lie between integrity and despair, as Sybil reckons with the fallout of her life’s tragedies.—
Noun
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In addition, stool samples from those suffering from the gastrointestinal illnesses were taken for testing.—
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Symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, vomiting and fever come on suddenly, and may be mistaken for other minor illnesses.—
Noun
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While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.—
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Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.—
Cite this Entry
“Ills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ills. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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