English Dictionary |
ILL WILL
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Dictionary entry overview: What does ill will mean?
• ILL WILL (noun)
The noun ILL WILL has 2 senses:
1. the feeling of a hostile person
2. a hostile (very unfriendly) disposition
Familiarity information: ILL WILL used as a noun is rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
The feeling of a hostile person
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
Context example:
he could no longer contain his hostility
Hypernyms ("ill will" is a kind of...):
hate; hatred (the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ill will"):
animosity; animus; bad blood (a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility)
class feeling (feelings of envy and resentment of one social or economic class for toward another)
antagonism (an actively expressed feeling of dislike and hostility)
aggression; aggressiveness (a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack)
belligerence; belligerency (hostile or warlike attitude or nature)
bitterness; gall; rancor; rancour; resentment (a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A hostile (very unfriendly) disposition
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
hostility; ill will
Context example:
he could not conceal his hostility
Hypernyms ("ill will" is a kind of...):
unfriendliness (an unfriendly disposition)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ill will"):
Context examples
She and your brother choose to go, and you will be only getting ill will.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
Why he had done it, what could have provoked him to such a breach of hospitality, and so suddenly turned all his partial regard for their daughter into actual ill will, was a matter which they were at least as far from divining as Catherine herself; but it did not oppress them by any means so long; and, after a due course of useless conjecture, that it was a strange business, and that he must be a very strange man, grew enough for all their indignation and wonder; though Sarah indeed still indulged in the sweets of incomprehensibility, exclaiming and conjecturing with youthful ardour.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
Eleanor had wished to spare her from so painful a notion, but Catherine could not believe it possible that any injury or any misfortune could provoke such ill will against a person not connected, or, at least, not supposed to be connected with it.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
What had she to say that would not humble herself and pain her family, that would not increase her own grief by the confession of it, extend an useless resentment, and perhaps involve the innocent with the guilty in undistinguishing ill will?
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
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