Ailing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈā-liŋ/ ail·ing

Meaning & Definition of Ailing

Ailing (adjective)

  1. having or suffering from an illness or injury —often used figuratively

Ailing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health

    "when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day"

    similar: invalid, sickly, weakly
    related: bedfast, bedridden, delicate, fragile, frail, dying, fading, incurable, moribund, debilitated, incapacitated, decrepit, enfeebled, feeble, infirm, weak, weakened, worn-out, ill, indisposed, peaked, poorly, run-down, sick, unhealthy, unsound, unwell
    opposite: healthy, well
    near: able-bodied, fit, hale, hearty, sound, well-conditioned, whole, wholesome

  2. 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"

    similar: bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, poorly, punk, run-down, sick, sickened, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, out of sorts, under the weather
    related: symptomatic, cruddy, lousy, seedy, sickish, nauseated, nauseous, qualmish, queasy, squeamish, airsick, carsick, seasick, dizzy, light-headed, shaky, woozy, achy, feverish, diseased, disordered, decrepit, feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, invalid, sickly, weak, weakly, afflicted, troubled, debilitated, disabled, incapacitated, hypochondriac, hypochondriacal
    opposite: hale, healthful, healthy, sound, well, whole, wholesome
    near: able-bodied, conditioned, fit, well-conditioned, cured, better, convalescing, improved, mending, recovering, recuperating, rehabilitated, hardy, hearty, lusty, robust, rugged, stalwart, strong, tough, blooming, bouncing, chipper, flourishing, flush, thriving

Ailing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter"

    similar: agitating, alarming, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distempering, distracting, distressing, disturbing, exercising, flurrying, frazzling, freaking (out), fussing, hagriding, perturbing, undoing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, weirding out, worrying
    related: aggravating, angering, annoying, bugging, chafing, chivying, exasperating, fretting, galling, getting, grating, harassing, harrying, irking, irritating, nettling, peeving, pestering, piquing, putting off, putting out, riling, vexing, bedeviling, haunting, plaguing, abashing, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discountenancing, embarrassing, fazing, flustering, jarring, mortifying, nonplussing, rattling, shaking up, daunting, demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, unnerving
    opposite: calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing, tranquilizing
    near: allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, propitiating

Related Entry: Ail (verb)

Ail is a different word from Ailing. The synonyms below are for ail, not for ailing.

  1. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter"

    similar: agitate, alarm, bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry
    related: aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy, exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil, haunt, plague, abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve
    opposite: calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize
    near: allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Ailing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Ailing:

invalid, sickly, weakly, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, poorly, punk, run-down, sick, sickened, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, out of sorts, under the weather, agitating, alarming, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distempering, distracting, distressing, disturbing, exercising, flurrying, frazzling, freaking (out), fussing, hagriding, perturbing, undoing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Ailing

Words with the opposite meaning of Ailing:

healthy, well, hale, healthful, sound, whole, wholesome, calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing, tranquilizing

Related Words for Ailing

bedfast, bedridden, delicate, fragile, frail, dying, fading, incurable, moribund, debilitated, incapacitated, decrepit, enfeebled, feeble, infirm, weak, weakened, worn-out, symptomatic, cruddy, lousy, seedy, sickish, nauseated, nauseous, qualmish, queasy, squeamish, airsick, carsick

Near Antonyms of Ailing

able-bodied, fit, hearty, well-conditioned, conditioned, cured, better, convalescing, improved, mending, recovering, recuperating, rehabilitated, hardy, lusty, robust, rugged, stalwart, strong, tough, blooming, bouncing, chipper, flourishing, flush, thriving, allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing

Origin & Etymology of Ailing

from present participle of ail:1

First known use: 1598

Frequently Asked Questions about Ailing

What does "Ailing" mean?

"Ailing" means having or suffering from an illness or injury —often used figuratively. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: having or suffering from an illness or injury —often used figuratively. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Ailing"?

Other words for "Ailing" include invalid, sickly, weakly, bad, down, ill, indisposed and peaked. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Ailing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Ailing"?

There are 135 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Ailing". Common alternatives include invalid, sickly, weakly, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky and poorly.

What is the opposite of "Ailing"?

Antonyms of "Ailing" include healthy, well, hale, healthful, sound, whole, wholesome and calming. Near antonyms include able-bodied, fit, hearty and well-conditioned.

How do you use "Ailing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Ailing" in a sentence: "when his ailing wife had to go to a nursing home, he visited her every day"; "he was ailing from some sort of infection in his eye that made it look all red and puffy"; "parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter".

Is "Ailing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Ailing" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Ailing"?

"Ailing" is pronounced /ˈā-liŋ/ and divided into syllables as ail·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Ailing"?

"Ailing" comes from from present participle of ail:1. First known use: 1598.