1
as in fragile
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ailing
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
In this new show, unlikely friends Marsha and Wendy wrestle with the mysteries of the teenage heart (and dragons), while jumping between alchemy class, dodgeball and theater club in a melodrama about the unusual humans and mutants that attend an ailing public boarding school.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 11 May 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
That Jefferson, an ailing octogenarian, should die in his bed was unsurprising.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Adjective
Bergstrom competed all throughout last year with an ailing knee, a season after she was sidelined at state due to a stress fracture in her foot.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
In this new show, unlikely friends Marsha and Wendy wrestle with the mysteries of the teenage heart (and dragons), while jumping between alchemy class, dodgeball and theater club in a melodrama about the unusual humans and mutants that attend an ailing public boarding school.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 11 May 2026
Verb
For 25 years now, whenever ailing sea turtles are stranded and rescued from regional waters (caught in netting, injured by a boat prop or shark attack, accidentally hooked by a fisherman, or stunned by a cold front), they are brought here for care, recuperation, and a second chance at life.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
That Jefferson, an ailing octogenarian, should die in his bed was unsurprising.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
-
Despite these measures, the rupee remains fragile.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Glory to God, a facility that provides physical therapy, behavioral therapy, and schooling for medically fragile children, is among those affected.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
One night in April when the boy playing Orlando was home sick and Jamie was waiting for Adele in their private coital chamber, Bromley kept her late to work on the scene where Orlando courts Rosalind playing Ganymede playing Rosalind.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Recently, she’s begun to feel physically sick due to everything going on in her life and is sharing with us that she’s been struggling with getting up, eating and other simple, everyday things.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs' defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.—
Dory Zayas,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This fragmented model creates friction and quietly drains profitability through unbilled hours, margin erosion from poorly staffed projects and elevated turnover when top talent hits operational roadblocks.—
DJ Paoni,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For however poorly things are going — and the bad tone set by the starters has leaked into some defensive lapses and some pressing at the plate — the Padres got themselves into a really favorable position before this.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While giving users information on how to conduct harmful activities could be concerning, the more worrying part is how the chatbots can egg users on, said Samuel Hunter, senior scientist and director of academic research at NCITE.—
Huo Jingnan,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
The play wasn’t particularly close and continued a concerning trend where a number of Red Sox runners have been thrown out at home recently.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
These moments are delightfully painful moments that remind just how frail this current moment in our relationship to technology continues to be.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Modifiers are long-standing medical coding tools that identify patients that are sicker, frailer, or undergoing unusually complex procedures.—
Dr. John Guzzi,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
But that’s made even worse by the fact that a significant portion of these observational studies did not even have a comparison group.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
The views over the city aren’t bad either.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
