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
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 ails
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
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
All the while, the current landscape of Trumpists—populists, nationalists, nativists—continue to view him as the embodiment of all that ails political elites.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 20 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
No, this is not an instant fix for everything that ails Bungie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 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
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
All the while, the current landscape of Trumpists—populists, nationalists, nativists—continue to view him as the embodiment of all that ails political elites.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 20 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
No, this is not an instant fix for everything that ails Bungie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ails
Noun
-
But, Diabanté questions, isn’t a world without strife, oppression, war, famine, poverty and all other societal ailments what humans have been struggling for all along?—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Heat had a few of its best players out because of injuries on Saturday, but a few others played through their ailments.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Feeney’s book features multiple narrators, but relativity is not an idea the series bothers to develop.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Now, wages have grown, but inflation bothers people.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
If your plants were plagued by pests or diseases during the growing season, leaving diseased plant debris in your garden allows problems to overwinter and reinfect your plants in spring.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
-
When making cuts, prune at a 45-degree angle to help water run off and prevent diseases.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Which is another thing that worries him.—
Joel Stein,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Stewart worries that the listings risk running afoul of copyright on product photos, or of agreements with her own suppliers — themselves mostly independent brands — that prohibit reselling products on Amazon.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Despite so many errors, The Information is now the paper of record on the ills of Nvidia.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The parties believe the case, which concerns CEQA requirements at the community plan level, creates more legal ambiguity for municipalities and poses a statewide threat to housing development.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
My question concerns the e-card version of this.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
That’s different that the crisis caused when formula produced by Abbott was linked to infant deaths and illnesses in 2022.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
For less severe illnesses, people will usually recover with rest and hydration.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.—
Jennifer Walker,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ails. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share