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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

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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
With safety Chamarri Conner still ailing as of Wednesday, Jaden Hicks could make his second straight start. — Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026 Set against the backdrop of the summer holidays, Sick revolves around sixteen-year-old Maks (Kąkol) and his older sister Emma (Łubik) who are sent to the Polish countryside to care for their ailing grandmother. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 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
  • Scientists see a troubling trend but are still investigating how the disease develops.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The report said there was no evidence of a fatal injury or organic disease, though investigators could not determine how Wells suffered the bruise.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of disease
Verb
  • Tanner Faaborg said he was also bothered by the reshaping of rural Iowa by industrial animal agriculture.
    — Rachel Cramer, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Before turning it into a judgment about your abilities, notice what specifically bothered you.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of bother
Noun
  • In determining whether to reimburse treatment for such ailments, insurers turn to Food and Drug Administration labels and expert guidelines.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Eleven gullible idiots were talked into acquitting because of an imaginary female ailment.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of ailment
Verb
  • But the Treasury market’s rapid deterioration is now alarming those who previously downplayed the risks.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The constant delay-of-game calls, false starts and inability to get lined up are a special level of alarming for a quarterback who entered the NFL 10 years ago.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarm
Noun
  • On Friday, the pope strongly reiterated the Church's pro-life teachings, criticizing initiatives to allow assisted dying for those who have incurable illnesses.
    — Joshua McElwee, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Hair loss in women can be caused by many things, including your genetics, illnesses, nutritional deficiencies, physiological stress and shifts in hormones.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of illness
Verb
  • Both areas are fenced and protected, and NOAA Fisheries urged beachgoers not to disturb these sites.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Combs has both utilized and weaponized his fortune, industry status, and reputation to hide a volatile temper and disturbing behavior for decades.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturb
Noun
  • In this framework, the cure for the party’s ills can only come from inside the party, not from any external force.
    — ANDREW MERTHA, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Football cannot be expected to answer societal ills, but this is the sort of area in which the club’s foundation does its invaluable outreach work, a place touched by those statistics about deprivation and crime.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of ill
Verb
  • Bass is particularly concerned by the relative lack of specialized intervention training for patrol officers who respond to the vast majority of service calls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The District Court of Gelderland, sitting in Arnhem, in the Netherlands ruled in favor of Birkenstock on a landmark copyright case concerning lookalikes of the German footwear company’s classic sandals sold at Lidl stores.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of concern

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aiguilles
ail
ailed
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Cite this Entry

“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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