ill-natured

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   habitually unkind, irritable, or difficult in temperament

   The ill-natured landlord complained whenever the children played outside.

2. 2
   adj

   showing malice or unkindness

   Her ill-natured joke embarrassed him in front of the entire office.

A compound of ill in the sense 'badly' or 'bad' + nature + -ed, literally 'having a bad nature.' Nature here means a person's innate disposition or temperament. The parallel good-natured developed from the same older use of nature.

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