What does ail mean?
Ail means (transitive) To cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.).
Ail
/eɪl/ · verb
Meaning
(transitive) To cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.).
Definitions by Sense
- (transitive) To cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.)
- (intransitive) To be ill; to suffer; to be troubled.
- (obsolete) An ailment; trouble; illness.
- (obsolete) Painful; troublesome.
- (West Country) The awn of barley or other types of corn.
Example Sentences
Have some chicken soup. It's good for what ails you.
What aileth thee, Hagar?
Not content with having in 1996 put a Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) on the statue book, Congress has now begun to hold hearings on a Respect for Marriage Act. Defended, respected: what could possibly ail marriage in America?
When he ails ever so little […] he is so peevish.
Synonyms for ail
Antonyms for ail
Related Words
Word Forms
- ails
- ailing
- ailed
- ailer
- more ail
- ailest
- most ail
- ile
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for ail?
Common synonyms include trouble, afflict, garlic, pain.
What is the opposite of ail?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use ail in a sentence?
Have some chicken soup. It's good for what ails you.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.