ails
Americanverb
Etymology
Origin of ails
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.
Inexorably, Mr. McCarthy drives toward the view that what ails American men is the macho belief that men should always have their guard up, never complaining or revealing what’s going on inside.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 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
Jones, 84 at the time, was asked by journalist David Marchese about what ails America.
From Salon • Nov. 5, 2024
Economists and other experts have a similar refrain about what ails the state – high costs, lots of regulations and unaffordable home prices, among other factors.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2024
“What ails you, young one?” he asked again.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
