to be unwell; feel pain; be ill: He's been ailing for some time.
Origin of ail
before 950; Middle English ail, eilen,Old English eglan to afflict (cognate with Middle Low German egelen annoy, Gothic -agljan), derivative of egle painful; akin to Gothic agls shameful, Sanskrit aghám evil, pain
A former colleague described how Redfield, a devout Catholic, prayed with the ailing Elijah Cummings, a Democratic congressman from Baltimore, during a visit to the Capitol.
Inside the Fall of the CDC|by James Bandler, Patricia Callahan, Sebastian Rotella and Kirsten Berg|October 15, 2020|ProPublica
To a crowd that included Mary Hamblet and her ailing mother, Grammie, Mabelle served baked shad and jellied salad, apple crisp, and the homemade graham bread — molasses-sweet and impossibly light — that was famous among her friends.
To Find Hope in American Cooking, James Beard Looked to the West Coast|John Birdsall|October 2, 2020|Eater
Because he was placed on the list, Tanvir also claims that he was unable to fly to see his ailing mother in Pakistan and that he had to quit a job as a long-haul trucker because he could no longer fly home to New York after a one-way delivery.
7 big cases the Supreme Court will hear in its new term, explained|Ian Millhiser|October 1, 2020|Vox
The Postal Service responded to OSHA that it traces contacts of all employees who test positive and encourages ailing employees to stay home.
Poorly Protected Postal Workers Are Catching COVID-19 by the Thousands. It’s One More Threat to Voting by Mail.|by Maryam Jameel and Ryan McCarthy|September 18, 2020|ProPublica
Life iz like a mug ov beer, froth at the top, ail in the middle, and settlings at the bottom.
The Complete Works of Josh Billings|Henry W. Shaw
Somethin' seemed to ail him and he couldn't make out what 'twas.
Thankful's Inheritance|Joseph C. Lincoln
Adjectives in ail derived from Nouns; as, from fear man, fearail manful; from caraid a friend, cairdail contr.
Elements of Gaelic Grammar|Alexander Stewart
But Cecilia, when she began to fear that something did ail him, did not find it very easy to tell Florence all the truth.
The Claverings|Anthony Trollope
I trust I may be justified in telling thee that there is not much to ail my girl.
Marion Fay|Anthony Trollope
British Dictionary definitions for ail
ail
/ (eɪl) /
verb
(tr)to trouble; afflict
(intr)to feel unwell
Word Origin for ail
Old English eglan to trouble, from egle troublesome, painful, related to Gothic agls shameful