- (transitive) to trouble; afflict
- (intransitive) to feel unwell
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ail /eɪl/USA pronunciation
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to cause pain, uneasiness, or trouble to:[~ + object]What ails you, child?
- Pathology[no object] to be unwell;
feel pain;
be ill: She's been ailing ever since she was bitten by that deer tick.
ail
(āl),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
- to cause pain, uneasiness, or trouble to.
v.i.
- Pathologyto be unwell;
feel pain;
be ill:He's been ailing for some time.
- bef. 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
- 1. bother, annoy, distress.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ail /eɪl/ vb
'ail' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):