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
Matthew Chin,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
The two men planted themselves at the bedside of the ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft to block Bush administration officials from making an end run to get Ashcroft’s permission to reauthorize a secret no-warrant wiretapping program.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 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
In step with China’s ailing housing market — predicted to worsen in 2026, consumer inflation has also risen to a three-year high in February, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics.
—Matthew Chin,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
The two men planted themselves at the bedside of the ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft to block Bush administration officials from making an end run to get Ashcroft’s permission to reauthorize a secret no-warrant wiretapping program.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail
Noun
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Eventually an eye infection took her to a doctor who diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Scientists were searching for a new breed of pear tree resistant to a nasty fungus called fire blight, a disease that can decimate crops.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At Brookhurst and Magnolia streets, construction was stopped so nearby birds that were nesting weren’t bothered.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
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Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And their best is Ragans, the opening day ace who was limited to just 13 starts while battling a groin injury and then a rotator cuff ailment in 2025.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
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These bacteria are known to cause a host of ailments, including listeriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, Guillain-Barré syndrome, miscarriage, brucellosis, chronic inflammatory conditions, reactive arthritis and death.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And according to a sweeping new joint report from Accenture and the Wharton School, the humans running them are falling behind in a way that should alarm every boardroom in America.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant organizations, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, still have a presence and have been trying to resurface.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The district is encouraging families to monitor their children for any signs of illness.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Miami was missing guard Norman Powell for the third straight game due to an illness and Boston was missing center Nikola Vucevic because of a finger injury.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Leo moon disturbs unconscious patterns that are ready to be interrupted.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Bees are typically not aggressive but can become defensive if their hive is disturbed, especially during yard work or landscaping, city officials said.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The first New Mexico trial on the ills and dangers of social media platforms began in February after a nearly three-year probe by the state.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
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And Pearl, while making his team’s case Thursday, unwittingly did a fine job of spelling out the ills of expansion as well.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the novel concerned only these elements—the clash of cultures in a small town, the thrill of the landscape beyond it—readers would still turn the last page with a fruitful, even nourishing, sense of disorientation.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to any principles of conflict of laws.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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