ill turn
- noun
:
mal servicio
- His attempt to help was an ill turn.
Examples
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Sometimes, what you think is a favor can actually be an ill turn in disguise.
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He did his friend an ill turn by giving advice that led to trouble.
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Doing her homework for her turned out to be an ill turn when she was caught cheating.
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She meant well, but it was still an ill turn.
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His attempt to help her only resulted in an ill turn that complicated her situation further.
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Offering unsolicited advice can sometimes lead to an ill turn instead of a solution.
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The well-meaning gesture ended up being an ill turn for everyone involved.
Synonyms
45
5.5
An action that harms someone even though it is meant to help them
An act of help that does harm rather than good
Antonyms
How Helpful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'ill' (harmful/bad) modifies 'turn' (a favor or helpful action), so 'ill turn' denotes a favor that causes harm or disadvantage. This interpretation follows normal adjective+noun logic and is therefore predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituents, despite the phrase being somewhat literary or less common.
Etymology
Ill turn probably comes from the simple idea of a turn meaning a 'favor' or an 'action' and ill meaning 'bad'. If a helpful turn goes wrong and causes harm, it becomes an ill turn, which is why the phrase now means a well‑meant act that ends up hurting someone.