as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
half of the staff is out sick with the usual wintertime ails
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of ail
Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2022
Illinois’s fiscal ails have long revolved around its pension system for teachers and state workers.
—Shruti Singh, Bloomberg.com, 18 May 2020
Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
The first crew member to leave after only one day and the only one to do so voluntarily, Avery returned home before the season even started to be with his ailing grandmother.
12.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ail 
Noun
Overall, China’s box office continues to ail, with sizable pockets of cinemas across the country still closed as a COVID precaution and consumer activity suppressed by mass testing and a prevailing sense of caution.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2022
Illinois’s fiscal ails have long revolved around its pension system for teachers and state workers.
—Shruti Singh, Bloomberg.com, 18 May 2020
Verb
Authorities did not release additional details about the severity of the injuries, but some of the ailing workers were moved in private vehicles.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
The first crew member to leave after only one day and the only one to do so voluntarily, Avery returned home before the season even started to be with his ailing grandmother.
12.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail
Noun
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This can lead to detrimental long-term health effects, such as triggering chronic conditions such as asthma as well as obstructive lung disease like bronchitis.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2025
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Hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, possibly a million or more, were swept into camps and prisons, with former detainees reporting abuse, disease and, in some cases, death.—
Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The latter group ultimately just couldn’t be bothered to get off their couches.—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2025
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Vlasic is not bothered by this but does have a suggestion for the NHL.—
Curtis Pashelka,
The Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Summary Celery has been used throughout history as a folk medicine to relieve many ailments.—
Hannah Coakley, MSPH, RDN,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2025
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Most common ailments aren’t connected to a single gene; polygenic risk scores aim to predict the lifetime likelihood of conditions, such as diabetes, in which many genes contribute to a person’s risk.—
Kristen V. Brown,
The Atlantic,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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California officials apologized after millions of residents in Los Angeles County were alarmed by a false alert to evacuate as wildfires rage.—
Emily Hallas,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
10 Jan. 2025
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The two had never once met, and Pope was alarmed, but tried to stay calm.—
Ian Frisch,
Curbed,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Patrik Laine missed a couple of games due to illness this week, but that does not seem to be a long-term issue.—
Chris Johnston,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
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Especially in summer, heat illness has affected more than 30,000 people and caused hundreds of deaths in Florida.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The volcano’s light illuminates a double lenticular cloud, or a UFO-like cloud formation created when a mountain disturbs air flow and creates standing waves above it.—
Carlyn Kranking,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Jan. 2025
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The restaurant’s owner requested that the police detain the tourist for intoxication and disturbing the public order; on Sunday, Cabo Rojo’s mayor said that the responding officer had been suspended while the case was being investigated.—
Graciela Mochkofsky,
The New Yorker,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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At the center of these ills stands the island’s relationship with the mainland.—
Graciela Mochkofsky,
The New Yorker,
8 Jan. 2025
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The strict binary of this is man, this is woman has been responsible for a lot of ills.—
Lanna Apisukh,
New York Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The traffic alert was issued Wednesday at 12:13 p.m., and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Wednesday at 12:52 p.m.—
Kansas City Star Bot,
Kansas City Star,
15 Jan. 2025
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Part of the reason wildfire smoke from the Los Angeles-area fires is particularly concerning is because — in addition to PM2.5 — the smoke from this disaster can include harmful components that were part of houses, items inside the home, buildings and cars that burned.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ail
Cite this Entry
“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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