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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
The Portland Trail Blazers took them to five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves (an ailing team) took them to six games, and the Thunder lost in seven.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 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
Look into it—there's probably something that aims to ease whatever ails you.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
The Portland Trail Blazers took them to five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves (an ailing team) took them to six games, and the Thunder lost in seven.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail
Noun
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The full suite of vaccines against childhood diseases was almost complete by 1970.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The deadly plague is called Pierce’s disease.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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This was a club that embraced African players before much of Europe bothered to scout the continent seriously.—
Zohran Mamdani,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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In my dream world where Emmys voters bother to watch Bait, Khan is a shoo-in.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
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While every ceremonial facilitator has their own unique way of preparing ayahuasca, most often two plants are brewed together (caapi vine and chacruna leaves) to create the highly powerful, transportive substance that can be used to treat physical and mental ailments.—
Michaela Trimble,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Tabbed a Colts starter as a rookie, hamstring and quadriceps ailments shut him down halfway through that initial professional campaign.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has alarmed global public health experts over the ferocity of the spread in the remote and heavily populated region.—
Jane Weaver,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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At a moment when surveillance technologies are increasingly weaponized against our communities, Albany’s latest proposal should alarm every New Yorker.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The tracker takes heat illness data from patient complaints and doctor diagnoses provided by a countywide monitoring project that was previously available only to public health officials.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Dangerous heat and limited cooling Out of the 104 games, 67 of them are being held at locations and times that come with potential danger for heat illnesses, with 39 of those at high risk, according to their historical wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT).—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The zoo says that the facility would be about 50 yards from some of its animals and that the noise could disturb its residents, including a leap of leopards that hail originally from Southeast Asia.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
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The lawsuit filed Thursday by Karen Read against Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police revealed a long history of disturbing text messages between former police officers Michael Proctor and Sean Goode that allegedly included racial slurs, sexist comments and other offensive material.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Charli isn’t pretending the world’s ills are curable through a sweaty night dancing with friends.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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Giant could have taken the same approach to Dahl as Dahl took to his own characters, clearly telegraphing the author’s ills and reducing him to them.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Verb
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As far as Fleur is concerned, nothing and nobody else compares to the stack of paper in her hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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For buyers concerned about range anxiety, the results offer a practical benchmark that often proves more useful than manufacturer specifications alone.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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