seriously ill — very sick
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
Extremely unwell, often with a serious medical condition that may require urgent care or hospital treatment.
Say it like a native
Textbook He is afflicted with a grave medical condition.
Native He's seriously ill.
Natural; 'afflicted with a grave medical condition' is clinical.
Pattern: be/get + seriously ill
In use
- After the accident, he was seriously ill and had to stay in the hospital for weeks.health
- If a close family member became seriously ill, I would do everything I could to support them.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She is serious ill in hospital.
✓ She is seriously ill in hospital.
Adverb 'seriously' before the adjective 'ill'.
Common collocations
seriously ill— become, critically, fall seriously ill, patient
Don't confuse it
'Seriously ill' is much stronger than 'a little ill' or 'not feeling well.'