ail
verb (used with object)
to cause pain, uneasiness, or trouble to.
were ailing
-
past progressiveof ail.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Amid speculation during the postseason that the Capitals were ailing, some of the team’s biggest stars — Ovechkin, Oshie, Eller and Carlson — revealed Tuesday they were playing hurt.
From Washington Post ● May 25, 2021
“There is not enough capital flowing, and a lot of small businesses are closing up shop because they were ailing before the hurricane.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2018
Then, in 1904, the chief forester at the New York Zoological Park—now the Bronx Zoo—noticed that some of the chestnut trees in the park were ailing.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 18, 2016
It righted whatever wrongs were ailing Rome’s production, added the extra spice of fire-breathing dragons and unpredictability, and continues to set the standard for epic TV drama today.
From The Verge ● Apr. 13, 2015
"You don't look as though you were ailing."
From The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope
