ailing

adjective

ail·​ing ˈā-liŋ How to pronounce ailing (audio)
: having or suffering from an illness or injury
providing care for his ailing mother
trying to rest her ailing knee/back
a person in ailing health
often used figuratively
an ailing company
an ailing economy

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dunlap, whose father was a state senator in Minnesota, already had three children at home when he was approached by Westerberg to take over for the ailing Bob Stinson. Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024 That is, of course, the story of the 2024 presidential election in which Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee, replacing an ailing Joe Biden. Keli Goff, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Oct. 2024 As Lee’s efforts to adopt and care for the seemingly ailing Piggy gained momentum — she's raised nearly $20,000 on GoFundMe — the Seattle native had to leave Spain. Ashley Vega, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024 One of Thompson’s signature innovations was to use a predictive algorithm to kick ailing and disabled Medicare patients out of nursing homes and rehabilitative programs, causing untold misery and penury. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ailing 

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of ail entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ailing was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near ailing

Cite this Entry

“Ailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ailing. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ailing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!