The difference between Ill and Well

When used as nouns, ill means trouble, whereas well means a hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids.

When used as adverbs, ill means not well, whereas well means accurately, competently, satisfactorily.

When used as adjectives, ill means evil, whereas well means in good health.

Well is also interjection with the meaning: used to acknowledge a statement or situation.

Well is also verb with the meaning: to issue forth, as water from the earth.

check bellow for the other definitions of Ill and Well

  1. Ill as an adjective (obsolete):

    Evil; wicked (of people).

  2. Ill as an adjective (archaic):

    Morally reprehensible (of behaviour etc.); blameworthy.

  3. Ill as an adjective:

    Indicative of unkind or malevolent intentions; harsh, cruel.

    Examples:

    "He suffered from ill treatment."

  4. Ill as an adjective:

    Unpropitious, unkind, faulty, not up to reasonable standard.

    Examples:

    "'ill manners; ill will"

  5. Ill as an adjective:

    Unwell in terms of health or physical condition; sick.

    Examples:

    "I've been ill with the flu for the past few days."

  6. Ill as an adjective:

    Having an urge to vomit.

    Examples:

    "Seeing those pictures made me ill."

  7. Ill as an adjective (hip-hop slang):

    Sublime, with the connotation of being so in a singularly creative way.

  8. Ill as an adjective (slang):

    Extremely bad (bad enough to make one ill). Generally used indirectly with to be.

    Examples:

    "That band was ill."

  1. Ill as an adverb:

    Not well; imperfectly, badly; hardly.

  1. Ill as a noun (often [[pluralize]]d):

    Trouble; distress; misfortune; adversity.

    Examples:

    "Music won't solve all the world's ills, but it can make them easier to bear."

  2. Ill as a noun:

    Harm or injury.

    Examples:

    "I wouldn't want you to do me ill."

  3. Ill as a noun:

    Evil; moral wrongfulness.

  4. Ill as a noun:

    A physical ailment; an illness.

    Examples:

    "I am incapacitated by rheumatism and other ills."

  5. Ill as a noun (US, slang):

    PCP, phencyclidine.

  1. Well as an adverb (manner):

    Accurately, competently, satisfactorily.

    Examples:

    "He does his job well."

  2. Well as an adverb (manner):

    Completely, fully.

    Examples:

    "a well done steak"

    "We’re well beat now."

  3. Well as an adverb (degree):

    To a significant degree.

    Examples:

    "That author is well known."

  4. Well as an adverb (degree, British, slang):

    Very (as a general-purpose intensifier).

  5. Well as an adverb:

    In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously.

  1. Well as an adjective:

    In good health.

    Examples:

    "I had been sick, but now I'm well."

  2. Well as an adjective (hypercorrect):

    Good, content.

    Examples:

    "“How are you?” — “I'm well, thank you!”"

  3. Well as an adjective (archaic):

    Prudent; good; well-advised.

  1. Well as a noun:

    A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids.

  2. Well as a noun:

    A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring.

  3. Well as a noun:

    A small depression suitable for holding liquid or other objects.

    Examples:

    "Make a well in the dough mixture and pour in the milk."

  4. Well as a noun (figurative):

    A source of supply.

  5. Well as a noun (nautical):

    A vertical, cylindrical trunk in a ship, reaching down to the lowest part of the hull, through which the bilge pumps operate.

  6. Well as a noun (nautical):

    The cockpit of a sailboat.

  7. Well as a noun (nautical):

    A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water to keep fish alive while they are transported to market.

  8. Well as a noun (nautical):

    A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of the water.

  9. Well as a noun (military):

    A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries.

  10. Well as a noun (architecture):

    An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.

  11. Well as a noun:

    The open space between the bench and the counsel tables in a courtroom.

  12. Well as a noun (metalworking):

    The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls.

  13. Well as a noun:

    A well drink.

    Examples:

    "They're having a special tonight: $1 wells."

  14. Well as a noun (video games):

    The playfield of Tetris and similar video games, into which the blocks fall.

  15. Well as a noun (biology):

    In a microtiter plate, each of the small equal circular or square sections which serve as test tubes.

  1. Well as a verb (intransitive):

    To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.

  2. Well as a verb (intransitive):

    To have something seep out of the surface.

    Examples:

    "Her eyes welled with tears."

Compare words:

Compare with synonyms and related words: