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:
Distressed vets administered a glucose injection -- the only option, given that the cause of the ailment remains unknown -- to the 11-year-old male, known as Genghis Khan, who was struggling to breathe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
As the judge noted in her ruling, the ongoing controversy has as much to do with when and how the diagnostic gospels were compiled as the scientific validity of the ailment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
There are few fortunes that can outlast a dementia illness or other ailment that requires full-time care for 20-plus years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
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
While the precise nature of his ailment was kept secret, Alexei continued to be a pale, sickly boy.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
He posted on social media about various health ailments, including irritable bowel syndrome and spondylolisthesis, a condition caused by a vertebra slipping out of place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Clients who once came for advice about medical ailments can now head to hospital instead.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
"The findings of our study reveal a previously unknown ability of the adult brain to repair itself. They point toward new ways of supporting recovery from ailments involving the loss of astrocytes," Weber says.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Symptoms included stinging eyes, head pain, lung problems and stomach ailments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“However, I could not work here. This garage is particularly dank, and I’m susceptible to respiratory ailments among a variety of others.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
