ailment

noun

ˈāl-mənt How to pronounce ailment (audio)
Definition of ailmentnext
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning a doctor known for successfully treating patients with chronic back ailments

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 ailment The Wizards were going to give Whitmore every opportunity to regain his spot in the playing rotation, but doctors discovered a dangerous blood clot in one of Whitmore’s shoulders, and the ailment forced Whitmore to miss the remainder of the season. — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 The Royals hope Garcia can recover quickly from his latest ailment. — Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 Others told of children suffering serious ailments who were shooed off with Tylenol. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 In this high silk topper The Big Bambino was on top of the world with no premonition that a serious throat ailment would lead to his death in a few short years. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ailment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailment
  1. disease
  2. illness
  3. ill
  4. condition
  5. fever
  6. sickness
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
  • 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
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
Noun
  • The comments were laid out in a two-page letter published via Telegram, as the country set its conditions for reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and touted the prospect of a return to diplomatic negotiations.
    — Sam Meredith,Lim Hui Jie,Mike Sheen, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than just a reproductive issue, endometriosis is a whole-body condition, affecting everything from emotional regulation to hormone production and gut health.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • The person recovered at home with symptoms of fever, cough and rash.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that often begins on the head and then spreads.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fever
Noun
  • Looking up patients on Facebook or Instagram, seeing what their lives were like before sickness and death, can create emotional attachments that make a difficult job even harder.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Difficult interactions with the government intensify the sickness of sickness and the trauma of trauma.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sickness

Browse Nearby Words

ailing
ailment
ailments
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Cite this Entry

“Ailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailment. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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