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ail

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To trouble, afflict, or cause distress; a versatile archaic verb that evokes persistent unease or physical discomfort, used poetically to describe both external burdens and internal turmoil.

Detailed Definition
In older English, to ail someone means to make them unwell or troubled. In the opening question, the speaker asks what is wrong with the knight, using a slightly archaic verb that sounds formal and old-fashioned today.
Example
Example in poetry:
Keats asks, “O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,” meaning what troubles you; “What ails the willow, stripped before spring?” applies the verb through personification; “Nothing ailed her except the news she could not forget” joins bodily and emotional unease; The archaic inversion “What can ail thee?” gives a ballad an urgent, formal music
Additional Notes
The verb in “what can ail thee” is an older, less common way to ask what is troubling someone.; Found in the poem, La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad by John Keats
Also Known As
suffer endure ache languish
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