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
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Tatis is expected to stay home at least another day, as the Padres await results of tests to see what ails him.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Naming what ails you is not the same as overcoming it.
—Hena Bryan, Refinery29, 26 Aug. 2025
No, this is not an instant fix for everything that ails Bungie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Yordan Alvarez’s potential return by the end of this week does offer hope for a turnaround, but Alvarez can’t mask everything that ails this teetering team.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
But Buttigieg might not provide the cure for what ails the party, political observers say.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
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
There simply doesn't seem to be a quick fix available for what ails the Texans offense.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Tatis is expected to stay home at least another day, as the Padres await results of tests to see what ails him.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Naming what ails you is not the same as overcoming it.
—Hena Bryan, Refinery29, 26 Aug. 2025
No, this is not an instant fix for everything that ails Bungie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Yordan Alvarez’s potential return by the end of this week does offer hope for a turnaround, but Alvarez can’t mask everything that ails this teetering team.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
But Buttigieg might not provide the cure for what ails the party, political observers say.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ails
Noun
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For a more comprehensive mind-body tune-up, guests can opt for a multi-day Paths to Wellbeing program, which targets specific ailments, such as insomnia.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Aiyuk, who tore his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of last season, isn't close to returning, and Pearsall and Jennings have what appear to be more minor ailments.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While many consider the mammal a nuisance for raiding garbage cans and damaging property, raccoons can also carry diseases, and they probably shouldn't be kept as housepets.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Consuming too many calories paves the way for obesity and related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
What about the present environment of censorship worries you the most?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
But Jacobson worries about what strict bans will mean for developers taking a careful approach.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Pandora has opened her box and its ills are fully integrated into our world.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The main part of the Constitution spans four pages and mostly concerns the structure of the government.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Defamation concerns false statements that are couched as factual and objective.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University, warned that removing vaccine requirements would leave children vulnerable to illnesses many parents no longer recognize.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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The same goes for anyone with chronic illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And when our American players have to control the crowd, that distracts them from playing.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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This might mean dropping a product line that’s profitable but distracts from your core business, or saying no to a good opportunity that isn’t aligned with your growth strategy.—
Minna Hu,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ails. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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