ailment
Americannoun
-
ailments
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ailment
Explanation
If you've got a rash or a persistent cough, you can call that an ailment. Some other common ailments are allergies or chronic headaches. They can be a real pain. Literally. The word ailment comes from the Old English eglan meaning "to trouble, plague, afflict," and the suffix -ment from the Latin mentum, which when added to the end of word describing an action turns that word into the result of that action. So the result of something that troubles, plagues or afflicts you is an ailment — a pain or discomfort that just doesn't seem to go away.
Vocabulary lists containing ailment
Chains
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Fault in Our Stars
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
As it turns out, the ailment was more minor than that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Soroka was out only two weeks with the same ailment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
"It's really amazing to see that something that's supposed to prevent a physical ailment can also help keep our brain healthy, too."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
Lying on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust, the elephant slowly exhausted himself in futile attempts to stand, the latest potential victim of a still-mysterious ailment in southern Kenya.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Since her ailment compromised the safety of the others, we took up the problem in caucus.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are increasingly used for a wide range of ailments.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Zoo officials said the animals were treated well and Chinese experts found only evidence of common ailments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Angurweet is used as a remedy for ailments including stomach ache.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
While close to 3,000 died in the terrorist attacks, close to 9,000 have died in the two-and-a-half decades since, most likely from one of the dozens of ailments that lingering cloud has caused.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Fm the one she recounts her growing list of ailments to.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
