ail
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ail¹
- /ˈeɪ̯l/
- [ˈeɪ̯l]
Sounds like ale, ayel · Rhymes with -eɪl
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English eilen, from Old English eġlan, eġlian (“to trouble, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *aglijan, from Proto-Germanic *aglijaną (“to trouble, vex”), cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (agljan, “to distress”).
verb ails · ailing · ailed
- To cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.) Have some chicken soup. It's good for what ails you.
- To be ill; to suffer; to be troubled. When he ails ever so little […] he is so peevish.
noun ails
- An ailment; trouble; illness.
ail²
- /ˈeɪ̯l/
- [ˈeɪ̯l]
Sounds like ale, ayel · Rhymes with -eɪl
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English eyle, eile, from Old English eġle (“hideous, loathsome, hateful, horrid, troublesome, grievous, painful”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌿𐍃 (aglus, “hard, difficult”).
adjective ailer · more ail · ailest · most ail
- Painful; troublesome.
ail³
- /ˈeɪ̯l/
- [ˈeɪ̯l]
Sounds like ale, ayel · Rhymes with -eɪl
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English eile, eyle, eiȝle, from Old English eġl (“an ail; awn; beard of barley; mote”), from Proto-Germanic *agilō (“awn”), related to *ahaz (“ear (of grain)”). Cognate with German Achel, Egel, Ägel.
noun ails · ile
- The awn of barley or other types of corn.
Translations
Every language
verb to cause to suffer
| Español | aquejar, afligir |
|---|---|
| Português | afligir |
| Français | manquer, faillir |
| Deutsch | weh tun, plagen |
| Italiano | affliggere |
| Русский | трево́жить trevóžitʹ, беспоко́ить bespokóitʹ |
| العربية | عَذَّبَ ʕaḏḏaba |
verb to be ill
| Español | padecer, adolecer |
|---|---|
| Português | estar doente/aflito |
| Français | être malade, souffrir |
| Deutsch | kränklich sein, leiden, krank sein, kränkeln |
| Română | a boli |
| Русский | боле́ть bolétʹ, недомога́ть nedomogátʹ |
noun An ailment; trouble; illness
| Español | enfermedad |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Krankheit, Leiden |
Talk about this word "ail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ail. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ail. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ail "ail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ail.Cite this
@misc{ail_2026,
title = {ail},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ail},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
