ail
Americanverb (used with object)
-
ails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ailed,
past participle, past
-
ailing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
ails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ailed,
past participle, past
-
ailing
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to trouble; afflict
-
(intr) to feel unwell
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ailsimple
-
ailssimple
-
have ailedperfect
-
has ailedperfect
-
am ailingprogressive
-
are ailingprogressive
-
is ailingprogressive
-
have been ailingperfect progressive
-
has been ailingperfect progressive
Past
-
ailedsimple
-
had ailedperfect
-
was ailingprogressive
-
were ailingprogressive
-
had been ailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ail
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
Explanation
The verb ail means to be sick or unwell — or cause to be so. If you feel a general malaise, someone may ask what ails you, though you may just need a vacation from work or school. The verb ail is used for things that are metaphorically unwell or unhealthy. Politicians, for example, will often tell their constituents that the only cure for what ails the country is to vote for them. Ail is used when referring to non-specific illnesses. So you are sick with the flu, or troubled by allergies, but you are not ailing because you know what's wrong. It's when you're sick but it hasn't been diagnosed that you are ailing.
Vocabulary lists containing ail
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 2
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Novel Study: The Crucible, Act 1
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Wolf Hollow
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Gies, who is around 60, said his motivation for creating Madison Air was his realization that “indoor air quality was horrible,” according to a Ret ail Roadshow.com presentation External link.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
She chops old vanilla beans, mixes them with epsom salts, adds a splash of vanilla extract, and has bath salts that are wildly aromatic, calming, and good for all that might ail you.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2022
That’s on top of parts and raw material shortages that already ail regional manufacturing because of supply disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2021
In taking that assessment this week, we should consider and discuss solutions to the issues that ail the on-field product.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 16, 2018
We dropped the engine, gas and ail, to shed weight It wouldn’t start anyway now.
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
The cure for what ails us, in Mr. Epley’s prognosis, is making what he calls “the choice.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized in "critical but stable condition," his spokesman said Sunday, without disclosing what ails the 81-year-old former politician.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
Scientist that she is, Fancourt presents plenty of evidence for art as a cure to what ails us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
Still, a strong sequel has often proved a cure for what ails Hollywood, and the Thanksgiving weekend was no exception.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 1, 2025
“Mercy,” said Sir Meliagrance, “what ails you, Ma’am, to sleep so long?”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
And it wasn’t an elixir for all the issues — visas, tickets, transportation — that ailed the tournament in its buildup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
Maybe they thought that what ailed the Florida citrus could be cured with a little private-equity magic.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
For Belichick, they say, it's part love of the game, part love for coaching, and part an affliction that has ailed many great sports figures: an inability to know when to say goodbye.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026
The cybersecurity company’s earnings and revenue forecast met analysts’ expectations but f ailed to impress investors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 2025
But it was soon clear that it was something worse than mopiness that ailed Captain Cook.
From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater
Puerto has written about how she got pregnant in 2022 and had no clear way to leave the state for an abortion, especially since she was helping to take care of her ailing mother.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Because of an ailing right knee, the Dodgers don’t really know what you might see out of Freddie Freeman this postseason.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
When Ratcliffe agreed on Christmas Eve 2023 to spend £1.25bn to buy a minority stake in Manchester United, his intention was to restore the ailing club to its past glories.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The announcement is also the latest tie-up between Germany's ailing auto industry and the defence sector, which is booming as countries build up their militaries to face an increasingly dangerous world.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
He had never been a healthy child; now he was constantly ailing.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
