AIL Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

ail 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ail

as in disease

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

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ail

2 of 2

verb

ˈāl

as in to bother

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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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 ail

Noun

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 In the age of generative AI, the theft of huge troves of medical information might be even more dangerous, as our health records wind up in data sets that enable off-the-books innovation in exploiting our ails. — Steven Levy, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2024

Verb

Sandy, apparently blind to the interpersonal nuances ailing the deck team, keeps Aesha on deck, Kayley as acting chief stew, and makes Joe acting bosun for the charter. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026 Because for all else that ailed the Chiefs last year, a common denominator was the loss of that certain something that starts with discipline and an edge. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ail

Noun

But rates of cardiac disease have fallen in recent years, as the medical community pivots to managing cholesterol levels, hypertension and diabetes—all risk factors for heart disease.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
The administration said 80% of insurers pledged changes to preauthorization requirements for 80% of diseases and injuries by January 2026.

— Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Hospitals and medical practitioners could treat many ailments and save lives, but medications like insulin for diabetes and antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia didn’t exist.

— Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
On the other side of it, Zeek Biggers, who hasn’t played in either preseason game, has been dealing with a minor nagging ailment in recent weeks but is back now.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ailment

Verb

Such military cooperation has alarmed Israel, which is increasingly distrustful of Turkey’s intentions in the region.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
California Forever has increasingly pitched the Solano Shipyard as part of a broader effort to rebuild the US maritime industry, a priority among both Democrats and Republicans alarmed over its decline.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarm

Noun

Fewer than 10 people typically die of the illness each year, but nearly everyone who contracts it dies, according to the CDC.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
If a parent has an illness so contagious that the hospital can’t adequately protect other patients from it, such as tuberculosis, the parent and child would probably be put in an isolation room with special airflow to contain germs.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of illness

Verb

Now investors are wondering whether the bond market’s unease is strong enough to disturb a booming stock market.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
As a parent who has purchased my share of scary Halloween costumes, I was particularly disturbed by the controversy now engulfing Target.

— Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturb

Noun

All the police will find is a crowd sitting in silent vigil and a bottle of olive oil for anointing the ill.

— Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
Alex Pantling/Getty Images What is clear is that no one thinks the changes enacted in either the Championship or League One are a resolution to the EFL’s marked financial ills.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of ill

Verb

That's a step in the right direction as far as we're concerned, because Jim Cramer has been after Nvidia to institute an Apple-style stock repurchase strategy.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The artificial-intelligence titan resisted Pentagon demands concerning uses of its technology that included mass surveillance and autonomous lethal weapons.

— Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of concern

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“Ail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ail. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ail

noun

verb

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