- present participle of ail.
ailing
Americanadjective
-
sickly; unwell.
-
unsound or troubled.
a financially ailing corporation.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ailing
Explanation
Someone who's ailing is sick. You might visit your ailing grandmother in the hospital. You can use the adjective ailing to describe someone who's very ill, or use it figuratively, to talk about "our ailing economy," or "the ailing school system." The next time you call in sick to work, you might say, "I can't come in today — I'm afraid I'm ailing." Ailing comes from the verb ail, "trouble or afflict," from the Old English eglan, "to trouble, plague, or pain."
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.
In his closing arguments, prosecutor Patricio Ferrai said that defendants' "chaotic organization" left the ailing player "in a helpless situation, abandoning him to his fate."
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 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
Thursday’s stock swoon wasn’t helped by more signs of an ailing American consumer, courtesy of Walmart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
They readied the remaining dogs; but the ailing men would have to pull also.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions 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.
