ill
- sick
‘ill’ and ‘sick’
Ill and sick are both used for saying that someone has a disease or some other problem with their health. You can use either ill or sick after a linking verb.
Manjit is ill and can't come to school.
Your uncle is very sick.
You usually use sick, rather than ‘ill’, in front of a noun.
She was at home looking after her sick baby.
However, you often use ill in front of a noun when you are also using an adverb such as seriously, chronically, or terminally.
This ward is for terminally ill patients.
Be careful
The usual comparative form of ill is worse.
The usual comparative form of ill is worse.
The next day I felt worse.
‘be sick’
To be sick means to bring up food from your stomach.
Cristina ate so much that she was sick.
➜ See sick
Be careful
Don't use ‘ill’ or ‘sick’ to say that someone has received an injury. Say that they are injured or hurt.
Don't use ‘ill’ or ‘sick’ to say that someone has received an injury. Say that they are injured or hurt.
Two people were injured and taken to hospital after the car crash.
➜ See hurt