ailing
Under the weather
Ailing means unwell or in poor health, typically suggesting a chronic or lingering condition rather than acute illness: Her ailing mother required constant care.
The word extends to things that are struggling or failing: an ailing economy, an ailing company, an ailing marriage.
Something ailing is weakened but not yet dead.
Unwell or impressively cool
- unwellExperiencing poor health
- illIn poor health
- diseasedAffected by illness
- infectedInvaded by pathogens
feverish · bedridden · afflicted · stricken · symptomatic · contagious · hospitalized · diagnosed
Advanced in age
- agedAdvanced in years
- decrepitWorn by age
- dodderingInfirm from old age
- totteringMoving unsteadily, nearly falling
infirm · senile · geriatric · frail · enfeebled · weakening · declining · fading
Weak and breakable
- feebleWeak and ineffective
- weakenedMade less capable
- debilitatedMade weak or infirm
- enfeebledMade weak or feeble
infirm · fragile · delicate · depleted · sapped · drained · exhausted · fatigued
Lean from deprivation
- haggardExhausted in appearance
- pallidUnhealthily lacking color
- wanPale and unwell-looking
- sallowUnhealthily yellowish complexion
ashen · pale · drawn · hollow-eyed · sunken · emaciated · wasted · cadaverous
Becoming progressively worse
- worseningBecoming more severe
- failingFlaw in one's nature
- sinkingFalling through water
- fadingGradual loss of intensity
ebbing · waning · degenerating · regressing · slipping · declining · crumbling · withering
Healing after sickness
- recuperatingRegaining health gradually
- healingRestoration of health
- mendingRestoring damaged items
- recoveringRegaining health or strength
rehabilitating · improving · rallying · reviving · bouncing back · on the mend · getting better · resting
sick
Unwell or impressively cool
infected · feverish · bedridden · afflicted · stricken · symptomatic · contagious · hospitalized · diagnosed · chronic
elderly
Advanced in age
tottering · infirm · senile · geriatric · frail · enfeebled · weakening · declining · fading · deteriorating
frail
Weak and breakable
- feebleWeak and ineffective
- weakenedMade less capable
- debilitatedMade weak or infirm
enfeebled · infirm · fragile · delicate · depleted · sapped · drained · exhausted · fatigued · languid
gaunt
Lean from deprivation
sallow · ashen · pale · drawn · hollow-eyed · sunken · emaciated · wasted · cadaverous · skeletal
deteriorating
Becoming progressively worse
fading · ebbing · waning · degenerating · regressing · slipping · declining · crumbling · withering · atrophying
convalescing
Healing after sickness
- recuperatingRegaining health gradually
- healingRestoration of health
- mendingRestoring damaged items
recovering · rehabilitating · improving · rallying · reviving · bouncing back · on the mend · getting better · resting · nursing
- illnessdisease, sickness, illness, disorder, malady
- decliningdeclining, waning, fading, diminishing, decreasing
- sicknesssick, ill, unwell, diseased, infected
- states of beingalive, dead, living, existing, conscious
- invalidsinvalid, invalids, infirm, bedridden, incapacitated
- afflictionsaffliction, disease, illness, malady, sickness
ailingthriving
Succeeding vigorously
flourishing · vigorous · robust · hearty · strong
ailingthriving
Succeeding vigorously
flourishing · prospering · successful · booming · healthy