1
as in fragile
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ailing
John Liu, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
While with the Rams, Staley helped transform an ailing defense the year prior — 17th in points allowed and 13th total yards allowed per game — into a force worth being recognized and respected, finishing first in both PPG and total yards allowed.
—Dianna Russini, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
Earlier in the year, James missed two games by taking a week away from the team to heal his ailing left foot and reset mentally.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Adjective
Instead of a quick recovery after Beijing relaxed its stringent pandemic restrictions in late 2022, the economy has floundered, weighed down by its ailing property sector and low consumer confidence.
—John Liu, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
While with the Rams, Staley helped transform an ailing defense the year prior — 17th in points allowed and 13th total yards allowed per game — into a force worth being recognized and respected, finishing first in both PPG and total yards allowed.
—Dianna Russini, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
Avery Russell Deckhand, Below Deck S8 The first crew member to leave after only one day and the only one to do so voluntarily, Avery returned home before the season even started to be with his ailing grandmother.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
Earlier in the year, James missed two games by taking a week away from the team to heal his ailing left foot and reset mentally.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
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Newborn caterpillars are too fragile to endure the sort of violent conflicts observed in other territorial animals, from ants to elephants, which can be deadly.—
Becky Ferreira,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Israel resumed its ground operation in Gaza on March 19 after negotiations to extend a fragile ceasefire involving an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners failed.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This has not been a good week for United, which was also accused of trying to shut off the ventilator of a sick one-year-old child.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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By many accounts, Planned Parenthood is an incurably sick beast whose time is nearing its end.—
Erik Baptist,
National Review,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.—
Adam Taylor,
Washington Post,
7 Mar. 2024
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Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies?—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
27 Mar. 2021
Adjective
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Obviously the risk of infection is increased in the immunocompromised and frail.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
-
In November, the pair found Cali in Mexico looking malnourished and frail.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days.—
The View from the Lane,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Since Trump’s Wednesday announcement, the stock market plummeted to its worst position since March 2020.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But does that mean that vegans are going against human’s evolutionary history and are bound to be weak, sickly, and even stupid?—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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The collection of slab-like columns by Derek McLane, lit in sickly, sullen colors by Natasha Katz, could be anywhere.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Likewise, when the husband fell ill but the wife remained healthy, the likelihood of divorce did not significantly increase.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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The ship traveled to New York and to several islands in the Eastern Caribbean, according to Cunard’s website. 19 MILLION AMERICANS TO TAKE CRUISES IN 2025, AAA PROJECTS Out of the total 2,538 passengers, 224 became ill with the virus.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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