as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
a doctor known for successfully treating patients with chronic back ailments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ailment
The complaint states Geter Pinder suffers from severe emotional distress, anxiety, paranoia about her safety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other ailments.
—
Abby Dodge, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Now, the drug's reputation is continuing to grow in conservative political circles as a form of cure-all for various ailments.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
The 30-year-old Latvian center disclosed last October that he had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a nervous system ailment that can impact heart rate and other areas of health.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
That marked McLean’s first game action since dealing with dizziness last week — an ailment that prevented him from joining Team USA over the weekend as originally planned.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailment
Abby Dodge, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Now, the drug's reputation is continuing to grow in conservative political circles as a form of cure-all for various ailments.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
The 30-year-old Latvian center disclosed last October that he had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a nervous system ailment that can impact heart rate and other areas of health.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
That marked McLean’s first game action since dealing with dizziness last week — an ailment that prevented him from joining Team USA over the weekend as originally planned.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailment
Noun
-
The finding has the potential to provide a longer runway to make the lifestyle changes that can help reduce risk, and could be used to better identify subjects who could benefit from participating in clinical trials seeking to prevent or treat neurodegenerative disease.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Hall of Fame high school football coach Bob Johnson, who built powerhouse programs at El Toro and Mission Viejo and became known for mentoring for his sons and other top quarterbacks, died Wednesday after a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease, his son Bret confirmed.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The elevated levels could increase the risk of illness.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
-
DeRozan returns to lineup DeRozan returned to the lineup 24 hours after an illness forced him to miss his first game of the season in Tuesday’s win over the Bulls, ending his streak of 126 consecutive games.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And Pearl, while making his team’s case Thursday, unwittingly did a fine job of spelling out the ills of expansion as well.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Hollywood has always been an easy political punching bag–a convenient scapegoat for a host of intractable ills.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Protest organizers say the action is not only about Noma, but about the broader restaurant industry as a whole and the conditions and personalities that have come to shape it.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The results showed that women eventually diagnosed with either of these two conditions — 849 with mild cognitive impairment and 752 with dementia — had larger amounts of p-tau217 in their initial blood sample way back in the mid-to-late 1990s.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
He was admitted to the hospital after experiencing high fever, low oxygen, sweating and chills, DF Star Hospital said in a statement.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
William rides to the camp where Benjamin died in custody, and it is confirmed by the captain that there was an outbreak of jail fever.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Of roughly 45,000 inmates booked annually, 50% disclose chronic illness and approximately 30% of the remaining half are unaware or don’t reveal a chronic sickness.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Ours is an age which consciously pursues health, and yet only believes in the reality of sickness.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailment. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
