AIL Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

ail 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ail

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

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ail

2 of 2

verb

ˈāl

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

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of 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

But the stakes are raised when Mayor Ellis (Tommy Miles) brings in Largesse Productions, a national events planning company owned by the formidable Tate (Jenifer Lewis), in an effort to bring jobs and money back to the ailing town. — Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026 Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee and is out for up to two months. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail

Noun

Along with treatment for eligible accidents and illnesses, the policy covers veterinary exam fees, hereditary and congenital conditions, dental diseases, behavioral issues and alternative therapies.

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
There have been periods when the human population declined because of wars or epidemics, such as the Black Death, in the fourteenth century, or the diseases brought by Europeans to the Americas in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

— Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of disease

Verb

In fact, the movie doesn’t even bother revealing Fang’s ultimate fate; but then again, he’s been fully vindicated in the court of public opinion, so who cares?

— Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
Nothing shows the world that the outside noise doesn’t bother you quite like preparing a statement ahead of time about how much the outside noise doesn’t bother you.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of bother

Noun

Right-hander Ben Brown underwent cervical spine surgery Monday in New York to address the recurring neck ailment that ended his stellar season in mid-June.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
And there’s reason to believe there might have been one or two more ailments.

— Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of ailment

Verb

Coolly, Violet responds that to avoid alarming the public, a few agitators have beenneutralized—now there’s a sticky euphemism—and their deaths passed off as revenge killings among drug traffickers.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
That move sparked enormous street protests in Israel, and alarmed many Israeli citizens overseas.

— Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of alarm

Noun

Rescued from the streets of Long Beach while battling an upper respiratory illness, Smokey is now on the mend and absolutely loving indoor life.

— Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
In June, the trio went on a vacation that was initially scheduled for December and had been rescheduled because of his illness.

— News Editor, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of illness

Verb

The end result has given rise to an insidious and often disturbing form of violence that wins victims’ trust before preying upon them or coercing them into hurting others – for money, for social media clout or sometimes for no reason at all.

— Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 10 Nov. 2026
How to Remove Dead Annuals From the Garden Many annuals are shallow-rooted and easily removed from the garden, but be careful not to disturb the roots of nearby perennials.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of disturb

Noun

Humor and/or wit feature in your work to address serious issues of the heart or to comment on the socio-political ills of the world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Hilton has blasted Becerra as taking the state’s voters for granted, failing to hold public campaign events to explain his detailed plans to address California’s many ills.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of ill

Verb

Musk and SpaceX have been instructed to preserve records concerning restrictions imposed on a military version of the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, CNN first reported, citing an aide to a Democratic senator.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
A number of women who were not known to each other came forward to officers with reports concerning Brand after that investigation was published, the Met Police said.

— Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of concern

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“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of ail

noun

verb

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