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
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Recent Examples of ailing
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The next year, their uncle was arrested in the Vel d’Hiv roundup, and months later French police took their ailing paternal grandmother, Sheindléa Badinter.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 May 2026
She was not immediately found and her ailing husband died around a week later from heart disease.
—Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Adjective
Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Nate Smith, Cody Johnson, and others have pledged allegiance to an ailing movement.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The next year, their uncle was arrested in the Vel d’Hiv roundup, and months later French police took their ailing paternal grandmother, Sheindléa Badinter.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Three people died, one passenger was in intensive care in South Africa, and two ailing crew members remained on board and were in need of urgent medical care, the cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions said.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 May 2026
She was not immediately found and her ailing husband died around a week later from heart disease.
—Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailing
Adjective
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Proteins, which are made up of sequences of amino acids, are more robust than ancient DNA, a fragile molecule that degrades relatively easily.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
The trouble was that the British economy was fragile—most mortgages in the UK at the time had variable rates, so raising interest rates would devastate British homeowners.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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That night, both the President and his wife periodically fled upstairs to check on their most beloved son, the eleven-year-old Willie, sick with a fever that would kill him two weeks later.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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What this narrative neglects are all the ways treatment might cause terrible side effects, or the long period one spends being sick, and how one’s identity may have changed in the interim.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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For DiPentima, the bill’s swift progress though the legislature was concerning.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Over the past ten-plus years, American students’ academic achievement has experienced a concerning decline.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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As Simpson declines, the actress appears frail, diminished, stripped of poise and makeup.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
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Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
West Ham showed themselves to be a bad team, less than the sum of their parts and wholly ill-equipped for the challenge in front of them.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Each reiteration and exaggeration of Mary’s bad behavior is another civic stroke of the chisel that perfects the monumental Lincoln in our collective imagination.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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