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
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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
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Because the World Cup should be a temporary antidote to all that ails us.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
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
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
Is gerontocracy the right diagnosis for what ails us?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
Because the World Cup should be a temporary antidote to all that ails us.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ails
Noun
-
Raw dairy, his farm has claimed, could cure, treat or prevent myriad diseases and ailments, from diabetes and ear infections to allergies, eczema and arthritis.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Vivi Sanchez Salinas with MiSalud, a nonprofit that contracts with farms to offer counseling services, said the stress of potential immigration enforcement may hamper productivity and show up in the form of physical ailments, for example, trouble sleeping, stomach issues and headaches.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
People can decide for themselves whether Wembanyama’s anthem conduct bothers them.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
But one Iowa departure bothers Ferentz the most, and that’s defensive tackle Noah Shannon.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Any time people from around the world gather together, the risk of certain diseases goes up.—
Alice Park,
Time,
12 June 2026
-
Water shortages, limited hygiene and extreme heat and humidity continue to accelerate the spread of these diseases.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Rebecca worries about her husband, whose work as a mechanic can be dangerous.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Greene worries that rising prices and the disappearance of mass-market paperbacks could create a future where fewer readers take chances on unfamiliar authors.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
On this near-ideal night, all the ills of the past few years faded away, and an era — or at least a month — of real ambition began.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
-
Ultimately, a ballot initiative won’t cure the ills that plague healthcare in the United States, said the Lown Institute’s Saini.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Heuermann has been a voracious reader in jail, but Toulon said the inmate’s preference for violent crime and mystery novels — some about serial killers — concerns him.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
The alleged threat is portrayed as undermining First Amendment protections for freedom of association, which concerns the ability of groups to engage in expression and group activities without government interference.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Officials with Connecticut’s mosquito management program are hard at work setting up traps and collecting mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can cause illnesses in people, including West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Rats transmit diseases through urine and waste, causing fever and other illnesses.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Ails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ails. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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