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
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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
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Recent Examples of ailing
David Aldridge, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The Dallas City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to move forward with a plan to relocate some emergency departments from City Hall and explore redevelopment options for the site, as the debate continues over a $1 billion price tag to restore the ailing downtown building.
—Everton Bailey Jr, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
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 ailing
Adjective
Boston didn’t get much at all out of the ailing Porziņģis.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The Dallas City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to move forward with a plan to relocate some emergency departments from City Hall and explore redevelopment options for the site, as the debate continues over a $1 billion price tag to restore the ailing downtown building.
—Everton Bailey Jr, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
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 ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
-
Hezbollah entered the war on March 2 with a barrage of missiles against Israel, breaking the fragile November 2024 ceasefire.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
DiMarco is a perfect fit as the besotted but fragile boy-man groom while Jason Leigh interjects hazy weirdness while Levine, Wilbusch, Birney, Crome and Fraser keep our suspicions about them on high.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, many began calling in sick or quitting entirely.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like, cool, got the game, but now the TV feels small, and suddenly the thermostat situation is bothering you, too.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually, the girl let on that her classmate had indeed been bothering her, poking her in the back and face with his fingers — but did not say the boy had threatened to kill her, according to the police report.—
Jeff Ernsthausen,
ProPublica,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
-
Early hurricane season forecast sees 'very concerning trend' A typical year averages about 14 tropical storms, seven of which spin into hurricanes, based on weather records that date from 1991 to 2020.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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San Diego economist Ray Major downplays the impacts of declining immigration, pointing out that the far more concerning issue is the continuing exodus of residents, who far outnumber those who are moving here.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
For all its public association with queerness, ballet remains largely committed to a frail, wispy femininity and a princely but muscular and explosive masculinity—with the stringent, often punishing body-shape standards to match.—
Chloe Angyal,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bernadine appeared to be useless—or, worse, a potential double agent.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
This is very bad for our health.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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