AILED Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

ailed

verb

past tense of ail

as in bothered

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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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 ailed Because for all else that ailed the Chiefs last year, a common denominator was the loss of that certain something that starts with discipline and an edge. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Whatever ailed this World Cup, the beautiful game was waiting with its healing powers. — Miami Herald, 12 July 2026 Shingles, folliculitis, and COVID-19 also ailed her during this time. — David Oliver, USA Today, 8 June 2026 The tweaks should fix much of what has long ailed it. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 With none of the colonialist baggage associated with the two European superpowers, America was turned to, almost as a last resort, to fix what ailed Iran. — Daniel Thomas Potts, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026 That struggling Cincinnati defense has been the cure-all for anything that has ailed the Steelers’ offense in recent years. — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025 Most important, he’s been mentioned by Timberwolves coach Chris Finch as a solution for much of what has ailed Minnesota in the past. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025 Few would get out of bed with the flu-like symptoms that ailed Jordan in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. — Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailed

Verb

She was treated with such indifference by the Bordens that, with the exception of Abby, no one bothered to learn her name, calling her by the name of their last servant, Maggie, instead.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
What’s bothered me, though, is how its backers have anchored their messaging around a lot of misleading generalizations about the state of college sports.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of bothered

Verb

Americans appear increasingly alarmed by the technology,with 7 in 10 polled in March opposing local construction of data centers that power AI technology, according to a Gallup survey.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Nonetheless, the testing has shown continued drop in US scores over the last decade, that have alarmed many educationalists.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

Clean Regularly Spiders don’t like to be disturbed, so an unused area of your porch is likely to be attractive real estate.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Yellow jackets are often the most aggressive, especially when scavenging for food or if their ground nests are disturbed.

— Nick Perry, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbed

Verb

To spend two and a half minutes studying that goal so forensically, and then seemingly lose sight of how Fernandez, from an offside position, distracted Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens, is the worst of both worlds.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The pain distracted Garrett while facing a 49ers lineup that included three-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

Take what happened during the Covid-19 pandemic— the Fed, then led by Jerome Powell, was concerned that the pandemic would lead to massive layoffs.

— Scott Horsley, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
On the other side is Sharaf with a record of 4-2-0; there is reason to be concerned that Sharaf struggles in this match.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of concerned

Verb

With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
That gave North Crowley a 35-28 lead with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter, despite a first half plagued with penalties.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of plagued

Verb

Civil rights attorney Jon Marko, who reviewed the syllabus language for CBS Detroit, says parents have reason to be unsettled.

— Heath Kalb, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Scorpio October 23 – November 21 A quiet realization could explain why something at home has felt unsettled.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsettled

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“Ailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailed. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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