critically ill

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "critically ill" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe a person who is suffering from a serious medical condition that could potentially be life-threatening. For example, "He was admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed as critically ill."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I am critically ill".

Independent

Critically ill adults?

The New York Times

"He was critically ill.

The New York Times - Science

They remain critically ill.

The Washington Post

The Critically Ill Child.

Harvard University

Should doctors abandon the critically ill?

The New Yorker

Three more tigers were critically ill.

The New York Times

He is said to be critically ill.

The Guardian - Sport

He is critically ill with 90% burns.

The Guardian

Her husband, Paul, remains critically ill.

The Guardian

Critically ill adults have increased nutrition risk.

Clinical Nutrition

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a patient's condition, use "critically ill" to convey the severity and potential life-threatening nature of their illness.

Common error

Avoid using "critically ill" to describe situations or things that are not related to health. Overusing the term diminishes its impact when describing severe medical conditions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "critically ill" functions primarily as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun (usually a person or patient) to describe their severe medical condition. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Science

34%

Academia

30%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "critically ill" is a widely used adjective phrase that describes a severe and potentially life-threatening medical condition. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and frequently appears in various contexts, including news, scientific publications, and academic research. When using "critically ill", it's important to reserve it for situations where the patient's condition is genuinely critical and requires immediate medical attention. Alternatives such as "gravely unwell" or "dangerously sick" can be used depending on the nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

gravely unwell

Replaces "ill" with "unwell" and "critically" with "gravely", emphasizing the seriousness of the condition.

dangerously sick

Substitutes "critically" with "dangerously" and "ill" with "sick", highlighting the peril involved.

severely unwell

Replaces "critically" with "severely" and "ill" with "unwell", indicating a high degree of sickness.

in critical condition

Uses a noun phrase instead of an adjective phrase to describe the state.

life-threateningly ill

Adds "life-threateningly" to underscore the severity and potential for mortality.

extremely unwell

Replaces "critically" with "extremely" and "ill" with "unwell", portraying a very high level of illness.

near death

Indicates the person is close to dying because of their illness.

on the brink of death

Highlights that the person is very close to dying.

in a serious state

Indicates the person is in a dire situation.

at death's door

This idiom implies the person is about to die.

FAQs

How to use "critically ill" in a sentence?

You can use "critically ill" to describe someone's severe medical condition, for example: "The patient was admitted to the ICU and is now "critically ill"."

What can I say instead of "critically ill"?

You can use alternatives like "gravely unwell", "dangerously sick", or "in critical condition depending on the context.

Which is correct, "critically ill" or "seriously ill"?

"Critically ill" indicates a more severe and potentially life-threatening condition than "seriously ill". The choice depends on the degree of severity you want to convey.

What does it mean to be "critically ill"?

Being "critically ill" means that a person is suffering from a severe and life-threatening medical condition that requires immediate and intensive medical care.