ailment

noun

ˈāl-mənt How to pronounce ailment (audio)
Definition of ailmentnext
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning a doctor known for successfully treating patients with chronic back ailments

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ailment Curry had lived with various ailments following a 2012 stroke. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 Hospitals and medical practitioners could treat many ailments and save lives, but medications like insulin for diabetes and antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia didn’t exist. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026 On the other side of it, Zeek Biggers, who hasn’t played in either preseason game, has been dealing with a minor nagging ailment in recent weeks but is back now. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 In the camps, aid workers were seeing physical ailments with no clear cause, along with signs of post-traumatic stress and a constant sense of insecurity. — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ailment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailment
  1. disease
  2. illness
  3. ill
  4. condition
  5. fever
  6. sickness
Noun
  • New findings by a team of researchers from the US and Australia have complicated an ongoing debate over whether a total joint arthroplasty may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
    — Mike McRae August 31, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As the disease progresses, people can develop a stiff neck, seizures and coma.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disease
Noun
  • Fewer than 10 people typically die of the illness each year, but nearly everyone who contracts it dies, according to the CDC.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
  • If a parent has an illness so contagious that the hospital can’t adequately protect other patients from it, such as tuberculosis, the parent and child would probably be put in an isolation room with special airflow to contain germs.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of illness
Noun
  • All the police will find is a crowd sitting in silent vigil and a bottle of olive oil for anointing the ill.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Alex Pantling/Getty Images What is clear is that no one thinks the changes enacted in either the Championship or League One are a resolution to the EFL’s marked financial ills.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ill
Noun
  • Having a healthy lawn means managing soil conditions for the roots, mowing properly, and strengthening the density of the grass by overseeding.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Women would also be screened through a questionnaire, which could then move to treatment for conditions related to hormonal imbalance.
    — Idrees Ali, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • Don’t be alarmed, but George Michael fever — which is the incessant urge to listen to the music British singer-songwriter George Michael — has been spreading for the past couple of years.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fever
Noun
  • In the case of the cyclospora outbreak, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of iceberg lettuce after reports of sickness emerged from across the country.
    — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Difficult interactions with the government intensify the sickness of sickness and the trauma of trauma.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sickness

Browse Nearby Words

ailing
ailment
ailments
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Cite this Entry

“Ailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailment. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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