ill will

noun

A spiteful or vengeful attitude; a grudge; dislike.

“The losing side bore no ill will toward the winners.”

Similar
bad bloodhostilityenmity
OriginMiddle English ill will →
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Meanings

nounill will (uncountable)

alternative ill-will

  1. uncountableA spiteful or vengeful attitude; a grudge; dislike.

    The losing side bore no ill will toward the winners.

    Synonyms: bad blood

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA spiteful or vengeful attitude; a grudge; dislike.

Similar
bad blood

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe feeling of a hostile person

Similar
hostilityenmity
Broader
hatehatred

nouna hostile (very unfriendly) disposition

Similar
hostility
Broader
unfriendliness
Also see
antipathyenmityhostilitymalice

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishill will
  2. Englishill will

From Middle English ill will, il wille, ill wille, equivalent to ill + will.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian недоброжелатество
  • недоброжелатество (nedobroželatestvo)ill-disposed attitude
Chinese Mandarin 惡意 /恶意, 敵意 /敌意
  • 惡意 /恶意 (èyì)ill-disposed attitude
  • 敵意 /敌意 (díyì)ill-disposed attitude
  • 憎惡 /憎恶 (zēngwù)ill-disposed attitude
Finnish kauna, paha tahto
  • kaunaill-disposed attitude
  • paha tahtoill-disposed attitude
French mauvaise intention, malveillance
  • mauvaise intentionill-disposed attitude
  • malveillanceill-disposed attitude
  • rancuneill-disposed attitude
Hindi बैर, विद्वेष
  • बैर (bair)ill-disposed attitude
  • विद्वेष (vidveṣ)ill-disposed attitude
Hungarian rosszindulat, rosszakarat
  • rosszindulatill-disposed attitude
  • rosszakaratill-disposed attitude
Latin malitia, aerugo
  • malitiaill-disposed attitude
  • aerugoill-disposed attitude
Māori kaikino
  • kaikinoill-disposed attitude
Polish ansa
  • ansaill-disposed attitude
Portuguese má vontade
  • má vontadeill-disposed attitude
Russian недоброжела́тельность, вражде́бность
  • недоброжела́тельность (nedobroželátelʹnostʹ)ill-disposed attitude
  • вражде́бность (vraždébnostʹ)ill-disposed attitude
Spanish inquina, malquerencia
  • inquinaill-disposed attitude
  • malquerenciaill-disposed attitude
Swedish illvilja
  • illviljaill-disposed attitude
Cite this entry
APA

ill will. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill%20will

MLA

“ill will.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill%20will. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ill will,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill%20will.

Source: ill will on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.