Ail
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /eɪl/ · Part of speech verb
Quick meaning: Ail is a verb meaning (transitive) To cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.).
Meaning
(transitive) To cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.).
More Meanings
- (intransitive) To be ill; to suffer; to be troubled.
- (West Country) The awn of barley or other types of corn.
- (obsolete) An ailment; trouble; illness.
- (obsolete) Painful; troublesome.
Example Sentences
What aileth thee, Hagar?
When he ails ever so little […] he is so peevish.
Have some chicken soup. It's good for what ails you.
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?
Word Forms
- ails
- ailing
- ailed
- ailer
- ailest
Synonyms for ail
Depending on context, synonyms include trouble, afflict, garlic, pain.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include pain, afflict, trouble, garlic, ache, suffer.
Related Dictionary Tools
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.