ailment

American  

[eyl-muhnt] / ˈeɪl mənt /

noun

1. a physical disorder or illness, especially of a minor or chronic nature.

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ailment British  

/ ˈeɪlmənt /

noun

1. a slight but often persistent illness

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Etymology

Origin of ailment

First recorded in 1700–10; ail + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

But these two suffer from the same ailment - they're strikers who are not very good at striking the ball into an opponent's net no matter who they're playing for.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The FDA also requires that a drug be tested for its ability to treat a named ailment rather than something more general like “aging.”

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Glanville had been struggling for the last few years with a mysterious ailment that caused recurring facial swelling, speech impairment and the loss of teeth, leaving her reluctant to go out in public.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

The fascinated Kayleen, clearly outclassed in the first round of the ailment and injury competition that forms the mordant spine of the play, asks to see and touch Doug’s wound.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Whatever the exact cause, Galileo suffered from repeated bouts of an arthritic ailment for the rest of his life, which sometimes confined him to bed for several weeks at a time.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• ache
• condition
• disease
• disorder
• flu
• illness
• malady
• syndrome