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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 ailed 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 The same problems that have ailed the team all year persisted. — Kansas City Star, 21 Dec. 2025 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
  1. bothered
  2. alarmed
  3. disturbed
  4. distracted
  5. concerned
  6. worried
  7. plagued
  8. unsettled
Verb
  • The problem Databento is solving has bothered anyone who has ever tried to get institutional-grade market data.
    — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 9 July 2026
  • There was a stretch of my adolescence, sometime in the early 2000s, when I was quietly convinced my life was a television show and no one had bothered to tell me.
    — Alli Kushner, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • Europe, for its part, is alarmed by the prospect of American abandonment of Ukraine.
    — Galip Dalay, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Those measures, however, have alarmed privacy advocates, who argue that age-gating the internet would affect all users — not just children.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 30 June 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • The location of the digging also could have disturbed another grave that may now be unmarked.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
  • Home to North America’s tallest mountain, Denali's six million acres of wilderness are disturbed by only one road.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of disturbed
Verb
  • But Lucky distracted us in hospital waiting rooms, gave us something to talk about other than the too-painful conversational alternative.
    — Marissa Stapley, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • Employees need clarity and space to do their jobs without being distracted by unnecessary information.
    — Anna Jankowska, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of distracted
Verb
  • The turnout that many were concerned had also been hurt by high ticket prices ended up being better than those first projections.
    — Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • But, as far as New Mexico’s place on the primary calendar was concerned, the committee member had a different idea.
    — Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of concerned
Verb
  • Even if the bond was granted, Wilber worried his family wouldn’t have the funds to pay his bail, which can cost thousands of dollars.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • During the Revolutionary War, General Washington worried that British troops were stockpiling weapons and ammunition in the fort and preparing to attack northern colonies.
    — Lane Degregory, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows the incredible journey of King Odysseus back to his kingdom of Ithaca, plagued by mythical perils along the way.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 13 July 2026
  • That’s a far cry from the financial troubles that plagued the club more than two decades ago.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of plagued
Verb
  • Concerns over timing of reversal The timing has unsettled some faculty.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • The centerless nature of Kiely’s grief unsettled him for a time.
    — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of unsettled

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Cite this Entry

“Ailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailed. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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