ailing

1 of 2

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

ailing

2 of 2

present participle of ail entry 1

Synonyms of ailing

Adjective

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

Examples of ailing in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

The ailing former movie mogul is also awaiting resentencing in Los Angeles, where he was convicted of rape, and is likely to remain behind bars into his late 80s. — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Given that measles is so transmissible, the presence of measles is symptomatic of an ailing public health immunization structure. — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Johnson’s role in Verity is Lowen Ashleigh, a down-on-her-luck writer who moves into the house of a mysteriously ailing but much more successful novelist, Verity Crawford (Hathaway), to help finish a blockbuster series of thrillers. — Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026

Costello told The News there weren’t many people looking out for the ailing former mayor. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of ail entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ailing

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