English Reference
Idiom idiom

take ill


To become ill, to fall ill.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“He took ill suddenly after the party.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The teacher took ill during the lesson, so the principal had to finish the class for her.”

COMPLEX

“Having taken ill shortly after his arrival in the capital, the diplomat was forced to postpone all scheduled meetings indefinitely.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    be taken ill

    To become ill.

  2. 02

    bird of ill omen

    A person who brings bad news.

  3. 03

    cross to take up

    Alternative form of cross to bear.

  4. 04

    do ill

    To harm, to injure.

  5. 05

    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.

  6. 06

    get taken in

    To be fooled; to fall for.

  7. 07

    give and take

    A process of compromise or accommodation.

  8. 08

    give someone an inch and someone will take a mile

    Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

Last updated August 10, 2026