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 This puzzle is stuffed with nuance, pleasing crosses and a lot of simply terrific, ridiculously evocative stuff — for example, a jarring assortment of lovely trivia intersecting with some hideous ailments at more than one juncture. — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Most of the siblings died of similar ailments, following similar patterns, that experts said could have been resolved with interventions as simple as insulin, antibiotics or a supply of oxygen. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 1 Oct. 2026 Miller, though, who is dealing with hip and back ailments, was downgraded to not participating Thursday after he was limited at Wednesday drills. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026 In determining whether to reimburse treatment for such ailments, insurers turn to Food and Drug Administration labels and expert guidelines. — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 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
  • The first is to dramatically accelerate the pace of basic science, and the second is to accelerate curing disease and extending health span.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • DeVeydt added that costs for inpatient services and pharmacy, particularly costly specialty pharmacy drugs for cancer and rare diseases, remain elevated.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disease
Noun
  • To be sure, practicing a zest for life can be harder for those who have physical illness and pain and those who engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The Heat also didn’t have Pelle Larsson (illness) and Dru Smith (right calf strain) on Friday.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of illness
Noun
  • Hilton has blasted Becerra as taking the state’s voters for granted, failing to hold public campaign events to explain his detailed plans to address California’s many ills.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Now, in The Social Reckoning, Sorkin focuses on the ills of the company Facebook eventually became.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ill
Noun
  • The Singapore Shipping Association also played down the prospect of a broad withdrawal of commercial shipping from the region, suggesting operators would instead adapt to changing trade conditions.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The team also evaluated methods for attaching sensors to storage casks, with the aim of developing installations capable of remaining in place for years under high-temperature and high-radiation conditions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • When López was nine, her father came down with a severe fever.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • An April report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked nearly 17,000 Shigella samples, which causes Shigellosis, which and can bring on diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, collected between 2011 and 2023.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of fever
Noun
  • The Dallas Cowboys are currently passing around a sickness in the facility, as four players have had a practice or game status affected by an illness over the last week.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Even the pancreas of a character’s unseen wife, the sickness in which AIG promises to double back and cure if only everyone keeps hurtling forward.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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