1
as in fragile
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bothering
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
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 ailing
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Ready was tasked with turning around an ailing social media platform, with a $93 million net operating loss, a dwindling Gen X and baby boomer user base, and very little avenue for growth with younger generations.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2026
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Cunningham had missed two games earlier in the month with a right wrist contusion and hadn't been shooting well in the four games leading up to Sunday's contest due to his ailing wrist.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Adjective
Supreme Leader Khamenei is 86 and ailing.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Ready was tasked with turning around an ailing social media platform, with a $93 million net operating loss, a dwindling Gen X and baby boomer user base, and very little avenue for growth with younger generations.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
Post was not offering up his thoughts on scoring against Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves or the Warriors’ 19 turnovers without ailing stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in a 108-83 loss.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Cunningham had missed two games earlier in the month with a right wrist contusion and hadn't been shooting well in the four games leading up to Sunday's contest due to his ailing wrist.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
-
Deuterons assemble well after the 100 MeV fireball cools, explaining how fragile nuclei endure extreme conditions.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The rest of us will sit here with Belichick, sick to our stomachs.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Now, the fear is getting sick or stuck far from home.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This fragmented model creates friction and quietly drains profitability through unbilled hours, margin erosion from poorly staffed projects and elevated turnover when top talent hits operational roadblocks.—
DJ Paoni,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At a minimum, the investigation should be conducted swiftly, and Maryland residents should be informed of accountability steps taken to address these concerning allegations.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
-
His daughter then explained Tate's content to him, leading Graham to find the influencer's reach particularly concerning, given that Tate is also under multiple investigations for human trafficking and rape.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Under a cowboy hat and a long poncho, Weir looked visibly frail on stage.—
Paul Liberatore,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Yes, Alice, the old, frail woman the series positions as suffering from Alzheimers or dementia was the Dahlonega serial killer.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Under President Biden, the FTC and DOJ slowed large transactions, suggesting that all big businesses were bad businesses.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
