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
Karl Vick, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
At their best, these shows are a mirror for what ails society, typically delivered with a heaping side of melodrama and romance.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 29 Jan. 2026
His presence or absence from the scene will not change the fundamentals of what ails Iran.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
The long era of sitting quietly while the doctor pronounces what ails us and what to do about it is ending.
—Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
The idea of being wrapped in a little wood house feels like the cure for whatever ails you.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
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
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
In the story of how the United States of America came together for the first time, On This Day…1776 has the cure for what ails us.
—Karl Vick, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
At their best, these shows are a mirror for what ails society, typically delivered with a heaping side of melodrama and romance.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 29 Jan. 2026
His presence or absence from the scene will not change the fundamentals of what ails Iran.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
The long era of sitting quietly while the doctor pronounces what ails us and what to do about it is ending.
—Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
The idea of being wrapped in a little wood house feels like the cure for whatever ails you.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ails
Noun
-
The building had many ailments, and the landlord seemed intent on doing as little as possible about them.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Loan defaults, foreclosures, and hotel property auctions due to distressed financing show that an array of ailments afflict the region’s lodging market.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Most people are able to put the splint away once their plantar fasciitis no longer bothers them.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That inward struggle made it to the surface because Glenn no longer bothers with charades.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cassidy, a physician specializing in liver diseases and a vocal supporter of vaccination, had questioned Kennedy sharply in a hearing about his views on shots.—
Amanda Seitz,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Smoking Like other lung diseases, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), smoking or significant secondhand smoke exposure increases the risk of adult onset asthma.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Wildfire worries As the warmth builds, dry, gusty winds will sweep across the High Plains this week, increasing the risk of wildfire ignition and rapid spread.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Even this newspaper story worries her.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The conductor added that opera not only reveals societal ills but can model what an ideal society can look like.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The most eye-catching revelation concerns the travel habits of CEO Alex Karp, whose executive aircraft expenses more than doubled over the previous year, suggesting the chief executive may have spent nearly one-third of his year in the sky.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
What concerns us most is how the campus has been responding.—
Tammi Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the launch of a mass drug administration program has allowed the country to treat around 100 million people for NTDs annually since 2019, The END Fund found, with the disease burden for some illnesses reducing by as much as 72%.—
Paige Bruton,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Now, those vaccines, which researchers estimate have prevented thousands of deaths and millions of illnesses, are recommended by the CDC only for children at high risk of serious illness or after consultation between doctors and parents.—
Amanda Seitz,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What really disturbs professionals is the FDA’s injection of inconsistency into its reviews of drug applications.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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By cross-pollinating different groups of thinkers, Seth disturbs the pattern-completion machinery of each mind, clearing the ground for alternative insights to land.—
Rachel Barr,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ails. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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