1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
lungs scarred by years of exposure to the sickly air of the coal mines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sickly
My mom was over one afternoon and noticed my sickly plant.
—
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
There’s a painterly look to the image, rather than the typical slop-style sickly sheen, but the AI origins are still unmistakable.
—Cath Virginia, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2026
For reasons that are still poorly understood, the body’s immune system, normally tuned exquisitely to root out and destroy invasive pathogens or sickly cells, begins to assault healthy cells instead.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Given the choice of pulling out of half of their in-game buys during the sleepier quarters, marketers may choose to exercise those options if a recession is in full, sickly bloom.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
There’s a painterly look to the image, rather than the typical slop-style sickly sheen, but the AI origins are still unmistakable.
—Cath Virginia, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2026
For reasons that are still poorly understood, the body’s immune system, normally tuned exquisitely to root out and destroy invasive pathogens or sickly cells, begins to assault healthy cells instead.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Given the choice of pulling out of half of their in-game buys during the sleepier quarters, marketers may choose to exercise those options if a recession is in full, sickly bloom.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Health officials urged anybody who may have eaten a poisonous mushroom to seek medical care immediately and contact the California Poison Control Hotline.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
Anyone who may have eaten a poisonous mushroom should seek medical care immediately and contact the California Poison Control Hotline at 800-222-1222.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Proteins, which are made up of sequences of amino acids, are more robust than ancient DNA, a fragile molecule that degrades relatively easily.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
The trouble was that the British economy was fragile—most mortgages in the UK at the time had variable rates, so raising interest rates would devastate British homeowners.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Northern India already has some of the world’s most polluted air, created by a toxic mix of vehicle and industrial emissions, crop residue burning, and construction dust.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Veterinarians recommend knowing which flowers are toxic, which are safer for pets and what to do if exposure happens.—
Taneia Surles,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The virus was first detected by health officials in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 2 after a British man became sick and was taken into intensive care, 21 days after another passenger had died.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
This spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with a sick person.—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Free agency is weak, so the best bet will be the trade market.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The original vision of the Accords – of a rapidly expanding regional bloc openly aligned with Israel and integrated economically across the Middle East – has become a significantly weaker prospect.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Elsewhere in the conversation, Beauvais offered advice to women who may feel stuck in unhealthy environments — whether professionally or personally — and encouraged them to prioritize themselves.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
What are symptoms of an unhealthy gut balance?—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
