Ill will is a feeling of hostility, resentment, or desire for someone to fail or suffer. When you bear ill will toward someone, you hold negative feelings against them and might even wish bad things would happen to them.

Imagine two students competing for class president. If one loses and then spreads rumors about the winner or secretly hopes they'll mess up, that's ill will. It goes beyond simple disappointment: it's an active wish for the other person's failure or unhappiness.

The opposite of ill will is goodwill, which means friendly, generous feelings toward others. You can see this contrast clearly in how people handle disagreements. Some people lose an argument but harbor ill will, staying angry and hoping for revenge. Others accept the outcome gracefully, holding no ill will and moving forward without resentment.

The phrase appears often in formal contexts: a departing employee might say they have “no ill will” toward their former company, meaning they're leaving on good terms. When neighbors settle a dispute, they might promise to bear each other no ill will going forward. The absence of ill will creates space for cooperation, forgiveness, and fresh starts. Its presence poisons relationships and makes working together nearly impossible.