1
: a bodily disorder or chronic disease
a stomach ailment
2
: unrest, uneasiness
an emotional ailment
Examples of ailment in a Sentence
She suffered from a chronic back ailment.
The doctor treated him for a variety of ailments.
Recent Examples on the Web
Peterson has missed 11 of KU’s 24 games because of hamstring tightness, cramping, a quad ailment and illness issues.
—
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
The building had many ailments, and the landlord seemed intent on doing as little as possible about them.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Loan defaults, foreclosures, and hotel property auctions due to distressed financing show that an array of ailments afflict the region’s lodging market.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Scoot Henderson, who sat out last Saturday with a left hamstring ailment after making his season debut for the Trail Blazers the previous night, returned and had 12 points and seven assists.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailment
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Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
The building had many ailments, and the landlord seemed intent on doing as little as possible about them.
—Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Loan defaults, foreclosures, and hotel property auctions due to distressed financing show that an array of ailments afflict the region’s lodging market.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Scoot Henderson, who sat out last Saturday with a left hamstring ailment after making his season debut for the Trail Blazers the previous night, returned and had 12 points and seven assists.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailment
Cite this Entry
“Ailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailment. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ailment
noun
ail·ment
ˈā(ə)l-mənt 
: a bodily disorder or chronic disease
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