be taken ill
To become ill.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He was taken ill during the party.”
“The director was taken ill suddenly, so the assistant had to lead the meeting in his absence.”
“Following the long journey through the mountains, the explorer was taken ill with a fever that forced the entire expedition to halt.”
- 01
bird of ill omen
A person who brings bad news.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 03
do ill
To harm, to injure.
- 04
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 05
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 06
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 07
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 08
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
Last updated August 10, 2026