ail
verb /eɪl/
/eɪl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they ail | /eɪl/ /eɪl/ |
| he / she / it ails | /eɪlz/ /eɪlz/ |
| past simple ailed | /eɪld/ /eɪld/ |
| past participle ailed | /eɪld/ /eɪld/ |
| -ing form ailing | /ˈeɪlɪŋ/ /ˈeɪlɪŋ/ |
- ail something (formal) to cause problems for somebody/something
- They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry.
- ail somebody (old use) to make somebody ill
- What is ailing you?
Word OriginOld English eglian, eglan, from egle ‘troublesome’, of Germanic origin; related to Gothic agls ‘disgraceful’.