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
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
Nick Duffy, NBC news, 22 June 2026
China has two films in the main competition, the 2025 $215m box office hit Nobody by Shui Yu, and Tana, a contemporary tale about a young woman who leaves Shanghai to support her ailing father in Inner Mongolia.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 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
After years without sustained growth in Britain, economic headwinds linked to global conflicts and the fallout from Brexit, as well as his own electoral pledge of fiscal discipline, have left a leader who promised change with little room for major reforms or investment in ailing public services.
—Nick Duffy, NBC news, 22 June 2026
China has two films in the main competition, the 2025 $215m box office hit Nobody by Shui Yu, and Tana, a contemporary tale about a young woman who leaves Shanghai to support her ailing father in Inner Mongolia.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail
Noun
-
An investigation revealed that the horse was suffering from multiple diseases and was a decade older than his driver had initially reported, according to the organization.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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Those who have been vaccinated or previously had measles are likely protected against the disease.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
The chest pain that had been bothering her finally let up.—
Tyler Quattrin,
Twin Cities,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Worth noting Right-hander Tyler Mahle is scheduled to return from his left hamstring ailment and start on Wednesday against the Athletics, per Vitello.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
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Interest in kratom surged in the last couple of years as users have reported consuming the compound in the form of a pill, powder or tea to treat various ailments.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Hordes of soccer fans wearing Mexico and South Korea jerseys were walking down Olympic Boulevard energized but not alarmed in any way.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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That alarmed some lawmakers about the risk of assessments on the rest of the market.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Symptoms include a rash, which can appear three to five days after onset of illness, cough, runny nose and red and watery eyes, as well as a fever that can be higher than 101 degrees.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Peterson missed 11 games in 2026-27 because of illness or cramping and asked out of several other contests.—
Gary Bedore
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The golf practice center would disturb an already fragile ecosystem with a high water table, the board wrote.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
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Gorsuch said the opinion was narrow and did not disturb other provisions of the law, which includes a ban on guns for drug addicts, ban on guns for people presently intoxicated and prohibition of firearms for those deemed a danger to themselves or others.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Noun
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In the winter of 1920, the United States entered Prohibition in the United States after years of campaigning by temperance groups who believed alcohol sat at the root of many social ills.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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On this near-ideal night, all the ills of the past few years faded away, and an era — or at least a month — of real ambition began.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Wednesday’s most concerning threat will roar to life in the afternoon, but some potent storms will bubble up in the morning too in parts of southern Minnesota and eastern Iowa.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Cabrera dismissed any idea that he was concerned the cramp could signal a far more serious issue.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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