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
In recent years Foege battled multiple health ailments, including cancer, congestive heart failure, gout, and a terrible case of shingles.
—
Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Jan. 2026
To Camarda, the heat shield problem is one symptom of a widespread ailment plaguing NASA that took root in the shuttle era.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Not all ailments are alike, naturally.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
Former first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall missed nearly half the season with myriad ailments.
—Alex Valdes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailment
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Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Jan. 2026
To Camarda, the heat shield problem is one symptom of a widespread ailment plaguing NASA that took root in the shuttle era.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Not all ailments are alike, naturally.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
Former first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall missed nearly half the season with myriad ailments.
—Alex Valdes, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailment
Cite this Entry
“Ailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailment. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ailment
noun
ail·ment
ˈā(ə)l-mənt 
: a bodily disorder or chronic disease
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