ill-advised
/ˌɪl ədˈvaɪzd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪl ədˈvaɪzd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌil-əd-ˈvīzd/ (ame, mw)
ill-advised — adjective
1. describes a decision or course of action whose foreseeable consequences are nega
describes a decision or course of action whose foreseeable consequences are negative — the person may have meant well, but the outcome was clearly going to cause problems.
The government's ill-advised tax changes triggered widespread protests across the country.
attributive use: ill-advised + noun (tax changes)
It was ill-advised of Liam to borrow money from a loan shark with such a high interest rate.
it + be + ill-advised + of + person + to-infinitive
Hana regretted her ill-advised decision to buy an old house near Osaka without getting a professional inspection first.
The company's ill-advised investment in outdated technology left it far behind its competitors.
- unwise
more general and less formal; unwise can describe any poor decision, while ill-advised more strongly implies foreseeable bad results
- imprudent
more formal, often used in financial or legal contexts to mean lacking caution
- foolhardy
stronger, suggesting the person took an unnecessary and obvious risk
文法句型
ill-advised + noun phrase
it + be + ill-advised + to-infinitive
it + be + ill-advised + of + person + to-infinitive
用法筆記
The focus is on the foreseeably bad outcome, not on how rushed the decision was. Commonly modifies nouns connected with decisions and actions (plan, policy, investment, choice, move). The structure 'it is ill-advised of [someone] to [do something]' explicitly criticises the person's judgment.
2. describes something said or done without taking time to think it through — the p
describes something said or done without taking time to think it through — the problem is the lack of care or caution, not whether the outcome turns out badly.
In an ill-advised attempt to impress his boss, Andre promised to finish the project in one week.
in an ill-advised attempt to + infinitive
Chitra made an ill-advised remark about the merger before all the details had been confirmed.
Without checking the company's financial records, Emeka made an ill-advised bet on its shares based on a single rumour.
Leaving the campsite without telling anyone was an ill-advised move that worried the whole group.
- hasty
focuses on speed; less critical in tone
- rash
stronger, implying emotional impulsiveness rather than lack of counsel
- ill-considered
very close in meaning, though slightly less formal
- well-advised
done after careful thought or good advice
- judicious
showing good judgment based on careful consideration
文法句型
ill-advised + noun phrase
in an ill-advised attempt / move to ...
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense emphasises the rushed or unconsidered nature of the action itself, not its foreseeable consequences. An action can be ill-advised in this sense even if the outcome happens to be good — what matters is that it was done hastily, without careful thought. Common with nouns describing speech acts (remark, comment, statement) and attempts.