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Showing results for ailing. Search instead for assoiling.
Synonyms

ailing

American  
[ey-ling] / ˈeɪ lɪŋ /

adjective

  1. sickly; unwell.

  2. unsound or troubled.

    a financially ailing corporation.


ailing British  
/ ˈeɪlɪŋ /

adjective

  1. unwell or unsuccessful

"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

Etymology

Origin of ailing

First recorded in 1590–1600; ail + -ing 2

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.

Along with partners, he snapped up ailing retailers, including Aéropostale, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, J.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

It comes as the party has shifted its tone on Brexit as it grappled with Britain's ailing economy.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

He defeated ailing eighth-ranked American Ben Shelton in the third round on Sunday to improve his record against top-10 players to 6-5 — an impressive stat for someone so green.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

It is only the second such transition in the Islamic Republic’s 47-year history and the first since the ailing Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini transferred power to Khamenei in June 1989.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

Between the other vendors—totally beaten and ailing itinerants whose names are something like Buddy, Pal, Sport, Top, Buck, and Ace—and my customers, I am apparently trapped in a limbo of lost souls.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole