ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈāl-mənt How to pronounce ailment (audio)
1
: a bodily disorder or chronic disease
a stomach ailment
2
: unrest, uneasiness
an emotional ailment

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
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.
Blink Twice nods at a tangle of different contemporary ailments: lifestyle fetishism, wellness hedonism, our obscene fealty to stolid tech bros and their untrammeled wealth. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024 She was hospitalized for various ailments in 2005 and has kept her life private since then. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024 Even the corneas of shark eyes have reportedly been used for human transplants in Yemen, and shark cartilage is marketed as a panacea for various ailments. Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 The ailment — a strained teres major/lat muscle — is one that Rodriguez previously dealt with as a minor leaguer in 2022. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ailment 

Word History

Etymology

ail entry 1 + -ment

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ailment was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near ailment

Cite this Entry

“Ailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailment. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ailment

noun
ail·​ment ˈāl-mənt How to pronounce ailment (audio)
: a bodily disorder : sickness

Medical Definition

ailment

noun
ail·​ment ˈā(ə)l-mənt How to pronounce ailment (audio)
: a bodily disorder or chronic disease

More from Merriam-Webster on ailment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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