Metaphorical use: The politician's scandal-ridden tenure left a stain on the country's ills. Health: The patient's nagging back pains were a source of great discomfort and ills. Figurative expression: The city's ills were a consequence of decades of neglect and mismanagement. Poetic expression: Like a hydra, the city's ills seemed to spread and multiply with each attempt to cure them. Folk / Storytelling: The wise old healer listened to the sufferer's tale of ills and prescribed a potent remedy.