mentally ill
2 antonyms and opposites of mentally ill, grouped by meaning.
Adjective — Suffering from a diagnosable psychiatric condition that significantly affects thinking, mood or behaviour.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adjective
Suffering from a diagnosable psychiatric condition that significantly affects thinking, mood or behaviour.
“He was seriously mentally ill and had been off his medication for weeks.”
Opposites
Antonyms
How to use mentally ill
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Acceptable in clinical and journalistic use; person-first phrasing is preferred in careful writing, and the slang use is best avoided.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between mentally ill and mentally disabled?
Mental illness is a condition affecting mood, thinking or perception, such as depression or schizophrenia, and it often fluctuates or can be treated. Mental or intellectual disability refers to lifelong limits on intellectual functioning, such as Down's syndrome, and is not an illness.
Is 'mentally ill' offensive?
The term itself is clinical and accurate, but many clinicians and advocacy groups prefer person-first wording such as 'a person with a mental illness' rather than labelling someone as their condition. Using it as an insult for ordinary behaviour is widely considered offensive.