ail 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ailnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ail

2 of 2

verb

ˈāl How to pronounce ail (audio)
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Palmieri thinks the new series could be the tonic for what’s ailing political journalism. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026 America at 250 seems stuck in a miasma of rival populisms that offer irreconcilable visions for curing what ails our country. — Will Marshall, Washington Post, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail
  1. disease
  2. bother
  3. ailment
  4. alarm
  5. illness
  6. disturb
  7. ill
  8. concern
Noun
  • DeepMind’s AlphaFold, for example, has used to AI to make available new structures for more than 200 million proteins, opening new pathways for research into disease and medicine.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • The lab got its start with studies of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the 1900s, when ranchers and cattle were dying from the then-unknown disease.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of disease
Verb
  • Lowe’s marginal position in Britain doesn’t seem to bother his allies in the United States.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
  • She couldn’t be bothered to hear half of the testimony about carriage horses.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
Definition of bother
Noun
  • The right-hander has been dealing with the ailment for more than a month.
    — Mike Fitzpatrick, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • But a lingering issue with his left knee is the most serious ailment on his docket.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of ailment
Verb
  • Here’s what should alarm anyone who cares about process, not just outcomes.
    — A.J. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2026
  • The incident has alarmed the world, but perhaps no one more so than AI safety experts who have warning about these kinds of dangers for years and urging companies and governments to adopt more safeguards.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Definition of alarm
Noun
  • After her diagnosis, her doctor taught her about the illness and what to expect during treatment.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026
  • In the initial stages of infection, the pathogen would resemble a known illness—one vulnerable to standard vaccines or drug remedies.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of illness
Verb
  • Out of competition The world of elite sports is taken to disturbing new heights full of brutality and painful ambition in the new film from Nikias Chryssos (The Bunker, Rave On, A Pure Place).
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
  • When walking down the charming Main Street, you won't be disturbed by honking or traffic since the island has banned cars since 1898.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Definition of disturb
Noun
  • Blaming billionaire wealth-hoarding for America’s ills would poll very well among the nation’s anthropology departments.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
  • Last month, Kwon’s team, in collaboration with Seongju Kim at Hanbat National University, in Daejeon, South Korea, presented its solution to HBM’s future ills.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 8 July 2026
Definition of ill
Verb
  • According to the complaint, Grigsby attempted to tell Martinez that concerns about a defense attorney’s performance should be directed to supervisors rather than discussed in open court.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026
  • These remarks come after HeatWorld reported that the sisters have been concerned about their safety, with tensions rising after Eugenie was recently heckled by a man making comments about her father in March.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 29 July 2026
Definition of concern

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Cite this Entry

“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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