ailed; ailing; ails
: to give physical or emotional pain, discomfort, or trouble to
His back has been ailing him.
It's good for what ails you.
What's ailing you?
: to have something the matter
an ailing economy
especially
: to suffer ill health
She has been ailing for years.
Synonyms
Examples of ail in a Sentence
Noun
half of the staff is out sick with the usual wintertime ails
Recent Examples on the Web
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
And, also in fairness, analytics were not to blame for all that ailed the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Of the Yankees’ first five runs, three were scored by players who had reached base on a walk or hit by pitch.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Billboard Staff, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2024
What’s more, the age-old phrase the team’s fans have used to describe Detroit’s recent ails – ‘SOL’ or same old Lions – seems to have been banished for now.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ail 
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Verb
There’s no easy solution to this or anything else ailing the offense.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
And, also in fairness, analytics were not to blame for all that ailed the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Of the Yankees’ first five runs, three were scored by players who had reached base on a walk or hit by pitch.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Shake off all the ails you, if only for three minutes and 16 seconds, with this absolute party of a disco track by Parisian producer Dan Ghenacia.
—Billboard Staff, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2024
What’s more, the age-old phrase the team’s fans have used to describe Detroit’s recent ails – ‘SOL’ or same old Lions – seems to have been banished for now.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ail
Dictionary Entries Near ail
Cite this Entry
“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ail. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ail
transitive verb
: to affect with a disease or physical or emotional pain or discomfort
what ails the patient
: to become affected with pain or discomfort : to suffer ill health
was ailing from a cold
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