sicken

verb

sick·​en ˈsi-kən 

sickened; sickening ˈsi-kə-niŋ 

ˈsik-niŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to become sick

2

: to become weary or satiated

transitive verb

1

: to make sick

2

: to cause revulsion in

their prejudice sickens me

sickener

ˈsi-kə-nər 

ˈsik-nər

noun

Synonyms of sicken

• disgust
• repulse
• appall
• nauseate
• horrify

Examples of sicken in a Sentence

Many people sickened and died on the long voyage.

The bacteria in the drinking water sickened the whole village.

We were sickened by the reports of violence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Oshea Orchid, a local lawyer, filed the first class-action lawsuit in 2023 against the operators of the county’s second-largest landfill, alleging the fumes were sickening her neighbors, causing headaches and heart palpitations. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has sickened 54 people on New York City’s Upper East Side, prompting widespread testing of building cooling towers in the area — including at the world-famous Guggenheim museum. — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 11 July 2026

Americans were sickened in both 2018 and 2020 by outbreaks that were believed to be caused by domestic produce. — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026

Acyclosporiasis outbreak has sickened hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans with a long-lasting parasitic infection, and dining out presents a unique challenge for people who want to avoid it. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sicken

• sicken of

Rhymes for sicken

• chicken
• likin
• quicken
• stricken
• thicken
• indican

Kids Definition

sicken

verb

sick·​en ˈsik-ən 

sickened; sickening -(ə-)niŋ 

: to make or become sick

Medical Definition

sicken

transitive verb

sick·​en ˈsik-ən 

: to make sick

intransitive verb

: to become sick