as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
half of the staff is out sick with the usual wintertime ails
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ail
Ben Morse, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024
In the age of generative AI, the theft of huge troves of medical information might be even more dangerous, as our health records wind up in data sets that enable off-the-books innovation in exploiting our ails.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2024
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Lagging foot traffic and decreased sales Symptoms of an ailing local economy are being felt to varying degrees at businesses across Minneapolis.
—Connor Greene, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ail
Noun
What’s more, the age-old phrase the team’s fans have used to describe Detroit’s recent ails – ‘SOL’ or same old Lions – seems to have been banished for now.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024
In the age of generative AI, the theft of huge troves of medical information might be even more dangerous, as our health records wind up in data sets that enable off-the-books innovation in exploiting our ails.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2024
Verb
German producers are cautiously welcoming local streaming requirements aimed at revamping the country’s ailing production sector.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Lagging foot traffic and decreased sales Symptoms of an ailing local economy are being felt to varying degrees at businesses across Minneapolis.
—Connor Greene, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail
Noun
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After whooping cough vaccinations declined in Dallas County over the last year, the preventable disease spiked to the highest numbers of infections officials have seen in over a decade, Huang said.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Harm reduction can encompass a range of practices, including handing out free needles to slow the spread of disease, and many local leaders credit some of those efforts with recent drops in fatal overdoses.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The man himself might have argued forcefully that the one didn’t prove the other, that many Muslims in his hometown never bothered to circumcise their children.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
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But only part of that really bothered the Florida Department of Health about Sidney Moritz, once known as Sandy Montano.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But forward Ty Dellandrea, San Jose’s only other player on IR, is still considered weeks away from a return from a lower-body ailment.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
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But in addition to Romy Gonzalez, whose lingering shoulder ailment from last season will likely keep him from the Opening Day roster, the Red Sox have 2020 Gold Glove winner Brendan Rodgers in camp on a minor league deal, and the switch-hitting utility-man Nick Sogard.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The boys did not wield weapons or threaten anyone, but their brash and rowdy behavior alarmed some of the other passengers.—
Michael Bobelian,
Washington Post,
18 Feb. 2026
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An Indian colleague was alarmed by the praise for colonialism.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Weekly activity levels are based on the rate of doctor’s visits for flu-like illness.—
Koko Nakajima,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The Prebys Foundation gave a $125,000 grant to San Diego nonprofit Resounding Joy to provide music therapy to homebound older adults fighting critical illnesses who are receiving meals from local nonprofit Mama’s Kitchen.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mist the soil instead of overhead watering, which can disturb the seeds.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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Managing the genetic health of such a small population is essential for the species’ long-term viability, and the hair-collection method offers a noninvasive way to gather vital data without disturbing the wombats in their burrows.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The conductor added that opera not only reveals societal ills but can model what an ideal society can look like.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even before revelations about the emails, there were tensions between Wasserman and some Los Angeles politicians concerned that financial shortfalls in staging the $7-billion Summer Games will need to be covered by local taxpayers.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Turns out, his son was concerned for the safety of his classmates from Guatemala and Cambodia.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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