ail

[ eyl ]
See synonyms for: ailailedailingails on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to cause pain, uneasiness, or trouble to: Inside our own bodies lies the most powerful cure for what ails us—our immune systems.He thinks lowering taxes is the answer to all that ails our economy.

verb (used without object)
  1. to be unwell; feel pain; be ill: He's been ailing for some time.

Origin of ail

1
before 950; Middle English ail, eilen,Old English eglan to afflict (cognate with Middle Low German egelen annoy, Gothic -agljan), derivative of egle painful; akin to Gothic agls shameful, Sanskrit aghám evil, pain

Other words for ail

Words that may be confused with ail

Words Nearby ail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ail

ail

/ (eɪl) /


verb
  1. (tr) to trouble; afflict

  2. (intr) to feel unwell

Origin of ail

1
Old English eglan to trouble, from egle troublesome, painful, related to Gothic agls shameful

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012