ailing

adjective

ail·​ing ˈā-liŋ How to pronounce ailing (audio)
: 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
De Meo pledged to double down on his efforts after the ailing French luxury group on Wednesday reported a 10 percent drop in revenues in the third quarter. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025 Commenting in July 2025 on the ailing performance of the US passport in the index, Richard Quest, CNN Business editor-at-large, noted how travel openness was being affected by the introduction of new restrictions such as ESTAs in the European Union and in the UK. Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025 Valentin Vacherot continued his remarkable run at the Shanghai Masters in uncanny fashion, beating an ailing Novak Djokovic for the biggest and strangest win of his tennis career. James Hansen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 This comes less than 24 hours after the franchise quarterback popped up on Wednesday’s injury report as a limited participant with an ailing hip and left thumb. Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ailing

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of ail entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ailing was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailing. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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