ail

IPA/eɪl/
KK[ˈel]IPA/eɪl/

ail — verb

  • ailpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • ailshe / she / it
  • ailedpast simple
  • ailing-ing form

1. to cause persistent problems or difficulties for a person, an organisation, or a

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to cause persistent problems or difficulties for a person, an organisation, or a system — for example, corruption ailing a government, or poor planning ailing a business.

Example

The mayor appointed a special committee to examine what ails the public transport system.

question structure: what ails + noun phrase

Years of underinvestment have ailed the rural hospitals of northern Zambia.

transitive: underinvestment ails hospitals

Common collocations
  • what ails + noun phrase
  • ail from + noun phrase
  • continue to ail
  • still ails
Synonyms
  • afflict

    more intense and often about suffering; 'corruption afflicts the nation' suggests greater severity

  • trouble

    more common in everyday language; 'what troubles the team' feels less formal

  • plague

    suggests repeated or widespread harm; 'violence plagues the region'

Antonyms
  • fix

    opposite in the sense of solving a problem that ails something

  • benefit

    opposite effect; 'lower taxes benefit the economy' vs 'corruption ails the economy'

Grammar Patterns

ail + noun phrase (what ails something/someone?)

ail + from + noun phrase (verb from years of neglect)

Usage Note

Subject is usually an abstract problem (lack of trust, poor planning, corruption) rather than a person. This sense is more common in formal writing and journalism than in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

My stomach ails me today.
My stomach is upset today.
The TROUBLE sense of 'ail' is for abstract, systemic problems, not temporary physical discomfort.
The broken window ails the house.
The broken window is a problem for the house.
'Ail' is too strong for small, concrete issues.

2. to be unwell over a period of time, or to make someone ill — for example, an eld

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to be unwell over a period of time, or to make someone ill — for example, an elderly person ailing in hospital, or bad food ailing the guests at a party.

Example

Inês has been ailing since the winter and missed two months of work.

progressive form: has been ailing

The elderly cat was ailing and stopped eating its food.

ailing used for animals

Common collocations
  • be ailing
  • has been ailing
  • look ailing
  • ailing + person / animal
Synonyms
  • be ill

    much more common in everyday use; 'she is ill' vs 'she is ailing'

  • suffer

    used with 'from'; 'suffer from a disease' specifies the condition

  • be sick

    less formal and very common; 'he was sick for a week'

Antonyms
  • recover

    opposite process; 'she is recovering from her illness'

  • get better

    common informal opposite

Grammar Patterns

ail (intransitive: someone is ailing)

ail someone (transitive: something ails someone)

Usage Note

Progressive form 'be ailing' is more frequent than simple present 'I ail'. The transitive use (something ails someone) is rarer than the intransitive and sounds formal or literary. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to physical health, while sense 1 refers to abstract problems.

Common Mistakes

I am ailing a cold.
I am ailing from a cold.
When specifying the cause, use 'ail from' or just describe the illness directly.
She ailed last night.
She was feeling unwell last night.
Simple past of 'ail' is very rare in modern English; use progressive 'was ailing' or a different verb.

ail — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs describe causing difficulty or problems, but they differ in intensity and typical contexts. 'Ail' is the most formal and often suggests a persistent, structural problem — what ails an organisation or system (e.g. 'what ails the economy'). 'Afflict' is stronger and focuses on suffering, commonly used with diseases or disasters ('a region afflicted by drought'). 'Trouble' is the everyday word for minor or moderate difficulties ('money troubles', 'a troubled relationship'). 'Plague' implies repeated or widespread harm over time ('violence plagued the city for decades'). For everyday conversations, 'trouble' is the best choice; in formal writing about society or systems, 'ail' fits naturally; 'afflict' and 'plague' are reserved for more severe or extensive problems.

ail ↗afflict ↗trouble ↗plague ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • what ails
  • what is ailing

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb 'ail' comes from Old English 'eglan' meaning 'to trouble, afflict', which is related to Old High German 'egilen' (to trouble) and ultimately to a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'painful, sharp'. The sense of physical illness developed from the idea of something 'troubling' the body. The noun 'ail' (and the more common 'ailment') grew out of the verb in late Middle English.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense Noun