ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈāl-mənt 

1

: a bodily disorder or chronic disease

a stomach ailment

2

: unrest, uneasiness

an emotional ailment

Synonyms of ailment

• disease
• illness
• ill
• condition
• fever
• sickness

Examples of ailment in a Sentence

She suffered from a chronic back ailment.

The doctor treated him for a variety of ailments.

Recent Examples on the Web

But by the first week of September, the Dodgers could no longer argue that his poor performance wasn’t necessarily connected to his ailments. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

ChatGPT is not your doctor, although most people are already using it to find out more information about their ailments, hypothetical or otherwise. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

That could align well with Freeling’s return-to-play process, as the rookie missed a bulk of Sunday’s game with a knee ailment and could be downright out for Week 6. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

Alongkot later expanded the hospice to offer treatment to people suffering from other serious ailments. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

ail entry 1 + -ment

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ailment

• bailment
• curtailment
• derailment
• entailment

Kids Definition

ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈāl-mənt 

: a bodily disorder : sickness

Medical Definition

ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈā(ə)l-mənt 

: a bodily disorder or chronic disease