Ail Meaning
/ˈeɪ̯l/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo cause to suffer; to trouble, afflict. (Now chiefly in interrogative or indefinite constructions.)
verbTo be ill; to suffer; to be troubled.
Sentence Examples
O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, alone and palely loitering?
CEFR Practice Quiz
High cholesterol can ____ the heart if left untreated for many years.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor asked, 'What seems to ____ you today?'
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"What aileth thee, Hagar?"
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 21:17:
"Not content with having in 1996 put a Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) on the statue book, Congress has now begun to hold hearings on a Respect for Marriage Act. Defended, respected: what could possibly ail marriage in America?"
— 2011, “Connubial bliss in America”, in The Economist:
"When he ails ever so little […] he is so peevish."
— 1740, Samuel Richardson, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
High cholesterol can ____ the heart if left untreated for many years.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor asked, 'What seems to ____ you today?'