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

• 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

Gladys is actually an ailing witch who cast a spell in order to drain them of their life force and reinvigorate herself in the process. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025

The narrative starts as an older, ailing Alfie is being questioned by a police detective after supposedly winning a fortune by cheating at a casino. —Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 24 Sep. 2025

The book begins many years later, after an ailing Alfie is arrested for allegedly cheating and winning millions at a casino roulette wheel. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025

Gas business booming Vernova emerged from GE CEO Larry Culp’s plan to rescue the ailing industrial conglomerate by splitting it into three independent companies focused on energy, aerospace and health care. —Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2025

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