Ailing

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈeɪ.lɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Falling short of optimal health due to a medical issue
2. Suffering from a condition that negatively impacts physical or mental health
3. Having weak or declining health usually because of illness or disease

Etymology: "Ailing" is the form of "ail" that describes someone being troubled by illness over time. "Ail" descends from Old English "eġlian," meaning "to trouble" or "to afflict," and it shares its root with the Gothic "agljan," meaning "to distress," which points to a Germanic word for hardship that predates English.

Synonyms: sick, unwell

Antonyms: healthy, well