Unwell
adjectiveIn poor health; ill, though often only mildly so.
How to spell unwell
6 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce unwell
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does unwell mean?
- adjectiveIn poor health; ill, though often only mildly so.
Unwell in a sentence
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She felt unwell after the long flight and went straight to bed.
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He called in unwell and missed the morning meeting.
Where does unwell come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This word joins the native English prefix un-, meaning 'not', to the adjective 'well', which goes back to the Old English wel, an adverb and adjective meaning 'in a good or satisfactory state'. The wel element is Germanic in origin and is closely related to the verb 'will', carrying an old sense of something being as one would wish it. The prefixed form 'unwell' appears comparatively late, from around the 1400s, and was at first treated as somewhat informal or even regional before settling into standard English as a polite, slightly understated way of saying 'ill'. Because both halves are everyday native words, the spelling is transparent: the only point worth remembering is the single l in un- meeting the double l of well, giving a tidy 'unwell' rather than any awkward extra letter.
How the word is built
- un- (not)
- well (in good health)
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