ail
verb (used with object)
to cause pain, uneasiness, or trouble to.
had been ailing
-
past perfect progressiveof ail.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
A statement issued Friday night by the presidential palace confirmed Italian news reports of the death of Napolitano, who had been ailing in a Rome hospital for weeks.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 22, 2023
Cannon did not disclose what had been ailing the “Collateral” star, but shared that “he’s doing so much better” and alluded to a joint project they plan to announce soon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2023
Bouteflika, who had been ailing since a stroke in 2013, died Friday at 84.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2021
Nixon had been ailing from a staph infection in his knee and came to the debate without rehearsing his responses.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2019
A lady living in the West, aged about fifty, had been ailing several years.
From New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers by Edward Pollock Anshutz
