Idiom idiom
ill health
Meaning
A state of illness, or bad health.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He retired early because of his ill health.”
“She missed several weeks of work due to a period of ill health, but she is recovering now.”
“Despite his long and distinguished career, he was forced into seclusion during his final years by persistent ill health.”
Anchors to
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
bird of ill omen
A person who brings bad news.
- 03
do ill
To harm, to injure.
- 04
house of ill fame
A brothel
- 05
I'll be
Expressing surprise.
- 06
I'll be a monkey's uncle
Often preceded by well: expressing complete surprise or disbelief.
- 07
I'll be bound
An expression of surprise.
- 08
I'll be damned
An expression of surprise.
Last updated August 10, 2026