to ill effect

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to ill effect" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that something has resulted in negative consequences or outcomes. Example: "The decision to cut funding for the program was made to ill effect, leading to a decline in community services."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

But these have often been used to ill effect.

The Economist

"What power he does have he has used to ill effect," Mr. Gore replied.

The New York Times

Yet there are key and significant instances where Wilson has cut corners to ill effect.

The New York Times - Books

Jones has a reputation for maintaining faith in troubled characters, sometimes to ill effect (Pacman Jones), but more often with good results (Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens).

The New Yorker

The first, of course, was "Super Size Me," the documentary in which the filmmaker Morgan Spurlock lived, to ill effect, on nothing but McDonald's fare for a month.

The New York Times - Food

The abusive partner was James Dolan, the C.E.O. of Cablevision and the owner of the Knicks, who has been accused for years of meddling in the team's basketball affairs, to ill effect, and then refusing to explain his decisions.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Doing any of these alone doubles the work and is less effective and more prone to ill effects.

WikiHow

It is described in the conventions as "particularly liable to abuse and to produce ill effect" and without any therapeutic value.

Vice

To circumvent this, those exposed to high levels of radio-iodine are generally given potassium iodide to prevent ill effect.

The Guardian

This is not to suggest that more homeowners should adopt the situational values our financial institutions demonstrated to such ill effect in recent years and voluntarily walk away from their loan payments.

Huffington Post

The most notable faller was the American Taylor Phinney, but the British sprinter Dan McLay was another victim, fortunately to no ill effect.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to ill effect" to succinctly describe situations where actions or decisions lead to unfavorable or undesirable results. It adds a touch of formality to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "to ill effect" when simply describing a neutral outcome. This phrase specifically implies that an action intended for good or without negative intent ultimately led to negative consequences.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to ill effect" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate that an action or situation has resulted in a negative or undesirable outcome. Ludwig's examples showcase its use in describing the consequences of decisions or actions.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

12%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "to ill effect" is a prepositional phrase used to describe situations where actions lead to negative consequences. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's grammatically correct and finds its place in formal and neutral contexts, particularly within news and media. While not exceedingly common, its consistent usage across reputable sources makes it a valuable addition to one's vocabulary. For alternative phrasing, consider "with adverse consequences" or "to detrimental effect" to convey similar meanings. Be mindful of the nuance implied by the phrase, ensuring its use accurately reflects actions intended for good or without negative intent that ultimately resulted in undesirable outcomes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

with adverse consequences

Replaces "ill effect" with a more formal term, emphasizing the negative result.

to detrimental effect

Substitutes "ill" with "detrimental", suggesting a more significant and lasting negative impact.

with negative repercussions

Focuses on the broader implications and aftereffects of an action.

to harmful result

Highlights the damaging nature of the outcome.

with damaging outcome

Emphasizes the negative outcome, pointing out the harm caused.

to unfortunate consequence

Underlines the regrettable nature of the result.

to bad end

Offers a more informal and direct expression of a negative outcome.

with poor results

Simplifies the phrase, focusing on the lack of positive outcomes.

with negative impact

Highlights the effect on something or someone.

to counterproductive outcome

Emphasizes the result is the opposite of the intended goal.

FAQs

How can I use "to ill effect" in a sentence?

Use "to ill effect" to indicate that something was done or happened that resulted in a negative or unfavorable outcome. For example, "His attempts to fix the problem were made "to ill effect", only making it worse".

What's a more formal way to say "to ill effect"?

A more formal alternative to "to ill effect" is "with adverse consequences". This phrase conveys a similar meaning but is often preferred in professional or academic writing.

Is it correct to say "with ill effect" instead of "to ill effect"?

While "with ill effect" might be understood, the more common and grammatically standard phrase is ""to ill effect"". The latter is more widely used and accepted in formal writing.

What's the difference between "to no ill effect" and "to ill effect"?

"To no ill effect" means that something happened without causing any negative consequences, while ""to ill effect"" means that something resulted in negative or harmful outcomes. They are antonyms.