ail

¹ail

verb \ˈāl\

Definition of AIL

transitive verb

: to give physical or emotional pain, discomfort, or trouble to

intransitive verb

: to have something the matter; especially : to suffer ill health

Examples of AIL

1. This medicine is good for what ails you.
2. His back was ailing him.
3. She has been ailing for years.

Origin of AIL

Middle English eilen, from Old English eglan; akin to Gothic agljan to harm

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to AIL

Synonyms: agitate, disturb, alarm (also alarum), bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry

Antonyms: calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize)

Related Words: aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy (or chivvy), exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex; bedevil, haunt, plague; abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up; daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve

Near Antonyms: allay, alleviate, assuage; appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

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Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Rhymes with AIL

ale, bail, bale, Bâle, brail, braille, Braille, dale, fail, flail, frail, Gael, gale, Gale, grail, hail, hale, jail, kale, mail, male, nail, pail, pale, quail, Quayle, rail, sail, sale, scale, shale, snail, stale, swale, tael, tail, taille, tale, trail, vail, vale, veil, wail, wale, whale, Yale