ailing

adjective

ail·​ing ˈā-liŋ How to pronounce ailing (audio)
: having or suffering from an illness or injury
providing care for his ailing mother
trying to rest her ailing knee/back
a person in ailing health
often used figuratively
an ailing company
an ailing economy

Examples of ailing in a Sentence

when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Mia agrees to let Max's ailing dog find solace with her newfound companion, in exchange for Max showing her the hidden gems of Seattle. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024 Widespread concern The ailing property sector is widely believed to lie at the root of China’s numerous economic woes. Juliana Liu, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024 When an ailing Cohn finally confronts Trump for avoiding him, the encounter feels perfunctory, a mere interruption of an extended clip show. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2024 The ailing Roosevelt had spent much of early 1945 away from Washington, limiting his direct contact with Truman, outside of cabinet gatherings, to two inconsequential meetings. David Priess, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2016 See all Example Sentences for ailing 

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of ail entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ailing was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near ailing

Cite this Entry

“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailing. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on ailing

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