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
Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Moore’s decision to court the Farm Animal Rights Movement and disparage the work of Maryland farmers appears less like a genuine moral objection to animal cruelty and more like a desperate attempt to recover momentum in his ailing, undeclared campaign for president.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The latter's been sent from Baltimore, where his ailing father resides, to live with Joanne and his stepdad, Gary (Paul Adelstein), also a therapist.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Adjective
Maybe the client had to leave their job to take care of an ailing family member.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Moore’s decision to court the Farm Animal Rights Movement and disparage the work of Maryland farmers appears less like a genuine moral objection to animal cruelty and more like a desperate attempt to recover momentum in his ailing, undeclared campaign for president.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
Shortly after dropping his ailing bid for reelection, Adams embarked on a four-day trip to Albania, meeting with the country's Prime Minister Edi Rama and members of his Cabinet, along with local business leaders.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The latter's been sent from Baltimore, where his ailing father resides, to live with Joanne and his stepdad, Gary (Paul Adelstein), also a therapist.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
-
The discussions follow last Tuesday’s historic meeting between Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, attended by Rubio, which were the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades and resulted in the agreement for a fragile 10-day ceasefire.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Israel and Lebanon are due to begin a second round of peace talks Thursday, as the Israeli military and Iranian-backed Hezbollah accuse each other of breaching their fragile ceasefire.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This animal is really, really very, very, very sick.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Cameron Collins was sick of Joe Biden.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sit there like nothing is bothering you.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 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
-
That is why the recent decision to advance legislation (House Bill 1360, the Affordable Housing Financing Fund) to divert approximately $130 million from Proposition 123 funds is so concerning.—
Heidi Williams,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Palencia’s oblique strain was the latest in a series of pitching injuries the Cubs have had to deal with, and was especially concerning considering the shaky state of the bullpen with the losses of high-leverage options Hunter Harvey and Phil Maton.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Physically frail, yet in full verbal command, Julian doesn’t talk to Lori so much as at her, pausing only to fire off questions that harden, in midair, into assumptions.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Meyerson had become frail and disoriented by the spring of 2019.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The combination of a shaky bullpen and even worse infield defense harmed the Twins multiple times during the team’s current four-game losing streak.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
To be unreasonable is to be a bad survivalist.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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