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sickly; unwell.
unsound or troubled:
a financially ailing corporation.
to cause pain, uneasiness, or trouble to.
to be unwell; feel pain; be ill:
he’s been ailing for some time.
contemporary examples

the ailing dictator “wants to make sure everyone in his family has a t-tle to make sure the lineage continues,” ku said.
north korea’s ‘evil’ sister philip shenon september 27, 2010

it is their chance—probably their last chance—to revive the ailing juggernaut.
the next simon cowell is… richard rushfield may 11, 2010

i have a full-time job, children, and, one after the other, ailing parents.
the perils of the teen jill bialosky august 16, 2011

she said there had been rumors swirling around recently that he was ailing quickly.
american nuns hope for sister-friendly new pope barbie latza nadeau february 12, 2013

that the ailing 58-year-old leader is even thinking of the future is remarkable in itself.
hugo chávez wins reelection and looks to the future mac margolis october 13, 2012

historical examples

since the outset of the match with harrwitz, he had been ailing, but he preferred playing to making excuses.
the exploits and triumphs, in europe, of paul morphy, the chess champion frederick milnes edge

she had been ailing for a month, and now she was down with a temperature.
k mary roberts rinehart

but in what way will these things appear to the individual with an ailing body and a distempered brain?
arthur o’leary charles james lever

the joy of the meeting was making them forget the ailing stranger.
the three cities trilogy, complete emile zola

little catherine was ailing, and an ailing child is always exacting.
joan of arc lucy foster madison

adjective
unwell or unsuccessful
verb
(transitive) to trouble; afflict
(intransitive) to feel unwell
v.

c.1300, from old english eglan “to trouble, plague, afflict,” from proto-germanic -azljaz (cf. old english egle “hideous, loathsome, troublesome, painful;” gothic agls “shameful, disgraceful,” agliþa “distress, affliction, hardship,” us-agljan “to oppress, afflict”), from pie -agh-lo-, suffixed form of root -agh- “to be depressed, be afraid.” related: ailed; ailing; ails.

it is remarkable, that this word is never used but with some indefinite term, or the word no thing; as what ails him? … thus we never say, a fever ails him. [johnson]