ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈāl-mənt 

1

: a bodily disorder or chronic disease

a stomach ailment

2

: unrest, uneasiness

an emotional ailment

Synonyms

• disease
• illness
• ill
• condition
• fever
• sickness

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

Sadly, his time with the company has been marred by injury and other physical ailments. —Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025

Klingberg is dealing with a lower-body injury, and Liljegren, another right-shot defenseman, has an upper-body ailment, said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, who added that Klingberg’s injury does not involve his resurfaced hips. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025

But Spoelstra downplayed Jakucionis’ ailments. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025

Brodin, 32, missed the season opener following offseason surgery for an upper body ailment but is back in action sooner than expected. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

ail entry 1 + -ment

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ailment

• bailment
• curtailment
• derailment
• entailment

Kids Definition

ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈāl-mənt 

: a bodily disorder : sickness

Medical Definition

ailment

noun

ail·​ment ˈā(ə)l-mənt 

: a bodily disorder or chronic disease