ails
Troubles or bothers — what's wrong with somebody.
Also called ail.
Updated September 21, 2026
ails pronunciation
/AYLZ/
Meaning
Means something is wrong with a person, body, or mood. The classic line is What ails you? — a concerned (or slightly sharp) way to ask what's the matter. Can cover a sore back, a sulk, or a general funk you can't name.
How folks use it
- “What ails you, sitting out here in the rain?”
- “I don't know what ails that truck, but it won't start.”
Origin and etymology
From Old English eglan, "to trouble or afflict." What ails you? shows up in English by around 1300. The verb thinned out in everyday national speech but stayed common in Southern and Appalachian talk, especially in that stock question and in jokes about something that "cures what ails ya."
Frequently asked questions
Does ails only mean sick?
No. It can be sickness, but it also covers mood, bother, or anything off — physical or not.