as in ailments
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
half of the staff is out sick with the usual wintertime ails
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in bothers
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 ails
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Often, knowing what ails a patient is necessary but not sufficient for determining how to care for them.
—Andrew Parsons, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
Smith is hyper-focused on attacking these practices, and not trying to fix everything that ails the Jets all at once.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Perhaps Team Lee is right that AI is the miracle cure for all that ails his economy.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
What ails Los Angeles County Foot traffic took a hit last summer.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Vladar can get a few extra days off to rest whatever ails him if the Flyers build off their 5-2 win in Game 3 and complete the sweep Saturday in Philadelphia.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
If that's the case, though, the food will cure what ails you.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
What ails her is not clear, but someone has a hint.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
City may well have believed that a summer break would cure their ails and time would simply consign last season’s mid-season collapse to room 101, but the rest of the league does not forget.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Look into it—there's probably something that aims to ease whatever ails you.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Often, knowing what ails a patient is necessary but not sufficient for determining how to care for them.
—Andrew Parsons, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
Smith is hyper-focused on attacking these practices, and not trying to fix everything that ails the Jets all at once.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Perhaps Team Lee is right that AI is the miracle cure for all that ails his economy.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
What ails Los Angeles County Foot traffic took a hit last summer.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Vladar can get a few extra days off to rest whatever ails him if the Flyers build off their 5-2 win in Game 3 and complete the sweep Saturday in Philadelphia.
—CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
If that's the case, though, the food will cure what ails you.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
What ails her is not clear, but someone has a hint.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ails
Noun
-
While every ceremonial facilitator has their own unique way of preparing ayahuasca, most often two plants are brewed together (caapi vine and chacruna leaves) to create the highly powerful, transportive substance that can be used to treat physical and mental ailments.—
Michaela Trimble,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Tabbed a Colts starter as a rookie, hamstring and quadriceps ailments shut him down halfway through that initial professional campaign.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
What bothers me still is the Maloofs or (current ownership) never honored Rick with a special night.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
More than 10,000 rare diseases affect 30 million Americans.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Viral diseases in tomato plants cannot be treated with chemicals.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
And as demand continues to climb, Spicer worries about keeping up with the growing need.—
Sofia Baltodano
June 8,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
-
In a year where so many competing interests are fighting over a limited amount of state funds, Palm worries Shapiro's proposal may go overlooked by lawmakers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Many Barcelona residents feel the Sagrada Familia's fame has driven some of overtourism's worst ills.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
-
Charli isn’t pretending the world’s ills are curable through a sweaty night dancing with friends.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Spielberg’s latest, like some of his earliest and most beloved films, again concerns what might fall from above.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
The closest analog to what Blue Origin is attempting to do, therefore, concerns the rebuild of Space Launch Complex-40, which was largely destroyed by the AMOS-6 failure.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
This is why wastewater can give us a better picture of the prevalence of illnesses not always easily detected in a healthcare setting, said Bidwell, especially because most people recover at home without seeing a doctor or being formally diagnosed.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Community engagement remains crucial, especially since early Ebola symptoms can resemble other illnesses.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
That brings us to the part of the ShotSpotter discussion that perhaps disturbs us most.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ails. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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