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
Examples 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
David Priess, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2016
In California and throughout the nation, these issues are key to improving quality of life for families that struggle to take time off to care for a newborn or ailing loved one, or to find affordable child care.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
Rohit Arora, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
But his real solution to what’s ailing him lies in the bond with his wife, the equally charismatic Bunnie Xo.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ailing 
Adjective
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
In California and throughout the nation, these issues are key to improving quality of life for families that struggle to take time off to care for a newborn or ailing loved one, or to find affordable child care.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
In sum, during times of disaster, the federal government has the ability to provide help for ailing businesses and individuals to recover economically through a number of federal disaster relief loan programs.
—Rohit Arora, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
But his real solution to what’s ailing him lies in the bond with his wife, the equally charismatic Bunnie Xo.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
-
Her reactions to that over the years — which include more abrupt exits from scenes and emotional confrontations with production than any other Housewife — have cast her as fragile, vulnerable, a broken bird.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Developing tourism in a fragile environment is a tricky balancing act.Chris Morris, Fortune Europe, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The vaccine doesn’t prevent 100% of infections, but those who are vaccinated and still get sick typically have milder illness, according to the CDC.Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
-
The news of additional cases comes days after the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed 11 people got sick eating the contaminated meat between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7.Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Is the trend of sales taking a route that is bothering you?Hitendra Patil, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
-
In many cases, states have stopped bothering to make legal justifications at all, the Human Rights Committee report warned.Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Both the United States and the United Nations have stepped back from leadership roles, a reflection of how poorly interventions in Haiti have gone and also the wide range of issues in other parts of the world at the moment.Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
-
Story will be a free agent and at this stage why would an accomplished player stay with the poorly run Rockies?BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
Adjective
-
The extraordinary shot of a frail, diseased young Don Vito on Ellis Island, looking out on the Statue of Liberty, sets the table for a decades-spanning journey through a country where opportunity is not extended, but seized through violence and dirty dealing.Scott Tobias, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
-
At a time when post-menopausal women still are stereotyped as dependent and frail, Kim’s film is a refreshing reality check.Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Zach Wilson’s younger brother settled in as the game progressed, but then threw a bad INT in the fourth to end Utah’s comeback attempt.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
-
Dilettante listing brokers can also cost sellers with bad marketing, weird staging, and a lack of responsiveness.Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Sugar and other ingredients in Halloween treats can cast a sickly spell on the trillions of microorganisms that reside in your gut, collectively known as the gut microbiome.Christopher Damman, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
-
The same sickly rainbow sheen goes across his eye and then hers.James Grebey, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Nelson released four albums between 1988 and 2011 and was scheduled to supposed to hold her retirement and farewell concert last June, but became ill and the concert took place without her.Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Nearly 100 people have fallen ill after onions served in burgers from McDonald's were found to be contaminated with E. coli, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ailing
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share