ill natured
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a disagreeable, irritable, or surly disposition: "ill-natured" describes a person who is habitually unpleasant, cross, or inclined to be argumentative or mean-spirited.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The ill-natured old man complained about everything and never smiled. (Describes a man with a consistently unpleasant and irritable character.)
- Her ill-natured remarks during the meeting offended several colleagues. (Her comments were spiteful or rude, reflecting a disagreeable temperament.)
- An ill-natured dog might growl at strangers without provocation. (The dog has a naturally aggressive or unfriendly nature.)
Advanced Usage
"ill-natured" as a compound modifier: Used before a noun to indicate a permanent or habitual trait.
- He gave an ill-natured reply, full of sarcasm and spite. (The reply was delivered in a sour and unkind manner.)
"ill-naturedly" (adverb): in an ill-natured manner.
- She ill-naturedly refused to help, even though it would have been easy. (She refused with a bad-tempered or spiteful attitude.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ill-naturedness (noun): the quality or state of being ill-natured.
- His ill-naturedness made him unpopular among his peers. (His habitual unpleasantness caused others to avoid him.)
- Ill-naturedly (adverb): in a manner that shows a bad-tempered or unkind disposition.
- He responded ill-naturedly to every suggestion. (He responded with irritation or spite.)
Synonyms
- Surly: bad-tempered and unfriendly, often in a gruff manner.
- Spiteful: showing a desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone.
- Irritable: easily annoyed or angered.
- Cantankerous: bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
Antonyms
- Good-natured: having a cheerful, friendly, and pleasant disposition.
- Kind: gentle, caring, and helpful towards others.
- Genial: warm, friendly, and cheerful.
Related Idioms
To have a sour disposition: to be habitually grumpy or ill-tempered.
- His sour disposition made him difficult to work with. (His ill-natured attitude caused problems.)
To be in a bad mood: to be irritable or cross at a particular time.
- Don't bother him—he's in a bad mood today. (He is temporarily ill-natured, though not necessarily always.)