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.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

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.

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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'

反義詞
  • 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'

文法句型

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

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

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

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.

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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'

反義詞
  • recover

    opposite process; 'she is recovering from her illness'

  • get better

    common informal opposite

文法句型

ail (intransitive: someone is ailing)

ail someone (transitive: something ails someone)

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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