Ill and sick are both used for saying that someone has a disease or some other problem with their health. You can use either ill or sick after a linking verb.
You usually use sick, rather than 'ill', in front of a noun.
However, you often use ill in front of a noun when you are also using an adverb such as seriously, chronically, or terminally.
Be Careful!
The usual comparative form of ill is worse.
To be sick means to bring up food from your stomach.
Be Careful!
Don't use 'ill' or 'sick' to say that someone has received an injury. Say that they are injured or hurt.
Noun | 1. | ![]() disorder, upset - a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning; "the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder"; "everyone gets stomach upsets from time to time" pip - a minor nonspecific ailment kinetosis, motion sickness - the state of being dizzy or nauseated because of the motions that occur while traveling in or on a moving vehicle |
Adj. | 1. | ill - affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function; "ill from the monotony of his suffering" unfit - not in good physical or mental condition; out of condition; "fat and very unfit"; "certified as unfit for army service"; "drunk and unfit for service" unhealthy - not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind; "unhealthy ulcers" well - in good health especially after having suffered illness or injury; "appears to be entirely well"; "the wound is nearly well"; "a well man"; "I think I'm well; at least I feel well" |
2. | ill - resulting in suffering or adversity; "ill effects"; "it's an ill wind that blows no good" harmful - causing or capable of causing harm; "too much sun is harmful to the skin"; "harmful effects of smoking" | |
3. | ill - distressing; "ill manners"; "of ill repute" bad - having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice" | |
4. | ill - indicating hostility or enmity; "you certainly did me an ill turn"; "ill feelings"; "ill will" hostile - characterized by enmity or ill will; "a hostile nation"; "a hostile remark"; "hostile actions" | |
5. | ill - presaging ill fortune; "ill omens"; "ill predictions"; "my words with inauspicious thunderings shook heaven"- P.B.Shelley; "a dead and ominous silence prevailed"; "a by-election at a time highly unpropitious for the Government" unpropitious - not propitious | |
Adv. | 1. | ![]() combining form - a bound form used only in compounds; "`hemato-' is a combining form in words like `hematology'" good, well - (often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (`good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for `well'); "the children behaved well"; "a task well done"; "the party went well"; "he slept well"; "a well-argued thesis"; "a well-seasoned dish"; "a well-planned party"; "the baby can walk pretty good" |
2. | ill - unfavorably or with disapproval; "tried not to speak ill of the dead"; "thought badly of him for his lack of concern" well - favorably; with approval; "their neighbors spoke well of them"; "he thought well of the book" | |
3. | ill - with difficulty or inconvenience; scarcely or hardly; "we can ill afford to buy a new car just now" |