ill-disposed
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not friendly or favorable: "ill-disposed" describes a person who is unfriendly, hostile, or has a negative attitude toward someone or something.
- Unlikely to be sympathetic: It indicates a lack of goodwill or a tendency to be opposed or unsupportive.
Usage Examples
- (She had a negative, unfriendly attitude toward him.)
- (The committee was not inclined to support or accept the proposal.)
- (He was unwilling or hostile to offer assistance.)
Advanced Usage
"ill-disposed to do something": unwilling or reluctant to act in a certain way due to negative feelings.
- The judge was ill-disposed to grant leniency. (The judge was hostile to showing mercy.)
"ill-disposed towards someone": having a negative opinion or hostility toward a person.
- The community was ill-disposed towards the outsider. (The community was unfriendly and unwelcoming.)
Variants and Related Words
Ill-disposedness (n): the state or quality of being unfriendly or hostile.
- His ill-disposedness made teamwork difficult. (His hostile attitude hindered cooperation.)
Well-disposed (adj): friendly, favorable, or sympathetic (opposite of ill-disposed).
- She was well-disposed towards the charity's mission. (She supported it willingly.)
Synonyms
- Hostile: showing strong opposition or unfriendliness.
- Unfriendly: not kind or pleasant; lacking warmth.
- Antagonistic: actively opposing or showing dislike.
- Unsympathetic: not feeling or showing support or understanding.
Antonyms
- Well-disposed: friendly and supportive.
- Favorable: showing approval or positive intention.
- Benevolent: kind and generous.
Related Idioms
"To be of a bad mind": a less common expression meaning to have hostile intentions.
- He was of a bad mind about the decision. (He was ill-disposed toward it.)
"To look askance at": to view with suspicion or disapproval (similar to being ill-disposed).
- The neighbors looked askance at the new construction. (They were unfavorably disposed toward it.)