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ill-natured

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Ill-natured describes someone who is bad-tempered or unpleasant.

Detailed Definition
This term is often used in literature to characterize individuals who exhibit a disagreeable disposition. In the poem, 'ill-natured' describes the sparrows, suggesting a sense of bitterness or harshness that mirrors the speaker's emotional state.
Example
Example in poetry:
"I watched the small, ill-natured sparrows’ fray" (bad-tempered, unkind); "The ill-natured dog snapped at strangers" (animal); "An ill-natured reply to a kind question" (social); "The ill-natured storm raged all night" (personification); "Ill-natured gossip in the village" (community)
Additional Notes
The phrase 'ill-natured' characterizes the sparrows, reflecting the speaker's feelings about love and companionship.; Found in the poem, Alms by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Also Known As
malicious spiteful ill-tempered churlish disposition
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