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
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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
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Recent Examples of ailing
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
An ailing right thumb could explain his shooting woes during the postseason, when the fourth-year guard suffered through a horrendous 0-of-15 shooting slump and shot just 4-of-23 over his last six playoff games.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2025
Advocates worry the lack of transparency will allow bad actors to continue running care facilities and putting elderly, disabled and ailing residents at risk.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Adjective
In Twin Peaks, Deputy Chief Hawk and Sheriff Frank Truman—filling in for ailing brother Frank—work on following a lead phoned in by an ailing Log Lady, while Richard Horne, son of Audrey Horne and Cooper’s evil double, spiraling into depravity and addiction, kills a child in a hit-and-run.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
An ailing right thumb could explain his shooting woes during the postseason, when the fourth-year guard suffered through a horrendous 0-of-15 shooting slump and shot just 4-of-23 over his last six playoff games.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Verb
Swank did step away from acting for three years at age 24 to care for her ailing father.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2025
Advocates worry the lack of transparency will allow bad actors to continue running care facilities and putting elderly, disabled and ailing residents at risk.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
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Set in post-war America, The Great Mann is a compelling narrative of the fragile nature of progress in a country still shaped by segregation.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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Simonds recommends hanging garments in a cool, dry place in the off-season and avoiding folding heirloom or fragile pieces.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Not every mosquito carries West Nile virus, and not everyone who contracts the virus will get sick.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
28 July 2025
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Cena took the opportunity to chug water to avoid getting sick.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The researchers and their partners are also working to track local residents’ health and to measure how well or poorly interventions like masks and household air filters protected them.—
Maggie Astor,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Severe infections are particularly dangerous for young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
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Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause severe and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail and elderly people, as well as those with a weakened immune system.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Truth be told, neither outcome would have been a bad choice.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Find our takes below, ranked from worst (one star) to best (five stars).—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There are so many stereotypes and stigmas about what a cancer patient looks like—bald, weak, sickly.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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The lunchtime sun was bright, tinting everything in a sickly golden tone.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That same month, her mother became briefly yet seriously ill, and Alcott put down her manuscript to care for her.—
Sarah Blackwood,
New Yorker,
22 July 2025
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When Jack became ill and close to death, Mary became very helpful to me.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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