Ails
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "ails" means to trouble, bother, or cause pain. Often heard in the question "What ails you?" it’s an old English word that has lingered in rural American dialect.
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synonyms: troubles, bothers, afflicts, pains
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I do hear 'ails' from time to time, but I'd say it's a country one, mainly old timers. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I do hear 'ails' from time to time, but I'd say it's a country one, mainly old timers. Pronunciation
[AYLZ] /eɪlz/
Meaning & Usage
- To trouble, bother, or cause pain (verb)
Clara:
He’s been sittin’ quiet all evening.
He’s been sittin’ quiet all evening.
Elmer:
Don’t know what ails him.
Don’t know what ails him.★ If somebody tells you it'll 'cure what ails ya,' don't get it too close to fire. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Middle English ailen (to trouble, afflict), with roots in Old Norse eila. In general English it became less common, but in Southern and Appalachian dialects, forms like "What ails you?" survived as everyday speech.
Usage Notes
- What ails you? is one of the most common expressions, still familiar in rural Southern/Appalachian communities.
- Outside these regions, the word sounds old-fashioned or literary.
- Can describe physical illness ("My back ails me") or emotional/spiritual trouble ("Something ails his spirit").