ailing

adjective

ail·​ing ˈā-liŋ 

: having or suffering from an illness or injury

providing care for his ailing mother

trying to rest her ailing knee/back

a person in ailing health

—often used figuratively

an ailing company

an ailing economy

Synonyms of ailing

• fragile
• dying
• frail
• sickly
• sick
• weak
• invalid
• weakly

Examples of ailing in a Sentence

when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day

he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy

Recent Examples on the Web

The technology was largely depicted as a portal to the future, a tonic for the ailing Los Angeles production sector, and a way to finally wriggle free from the bonds of antiquated studio protocols. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026

Alcaraz never made it to the start, as he is sidelined with an ailing wrist, while Sinner lost in the second round and Djokovic lost a day later in the third round. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 31 May 2026

Streeting’s Cabinet position became a personal mission to fix an ailing National Health Service because of his own battle with kidney cancer. —ABC News, 17 May 2026

Bergstrom competed all throughout last year with an ailing knee, a season after she was sidelined at state due to a stress fracture in her foot. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 15 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of ail entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ailing

• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• railing
• sailing