ailing

adjective

ail·​ing ˈā-liŋ 

: having or suffering from an illness or injury

providing care for his ailing mother

trying to rest her ailing knee/back

a person in ailing health

—often used figuratively

an ailing company

an ailing economy

Synonyms

• invalid
• sickly
• weakly

Examples of ailing in a Sentence

when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day

he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy

Recent Examples on the Web

He isn’t expected to return until at least the end of May after receiving a cortisone shot in the ailing ankle this week. —Melissa Lockard, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Its viewership increased by more than 30x the prior week, Netflix said, when Pope Francis was ailing but still alive. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025

Kering last month named Demna Gvasalia as Gucci’s new artistic director, in its latest bid to turn around its ailing main label. —Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025

On Sunday, the day before Francis’ passing, Vance exchanged Easter greetings with an ailing Pope. —Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of ail entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ailing

• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• railing
• sailing