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

Samples collected by Midwest Poultry at farms in Texas tested positive for salmonella, and genetic testing showed that some samples match the bacteria strain that sickened people, federal officials said. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

That outbreak has already sickened more than 1,640 people, while overall cyclosporiasis cases have surpassed 4,100 nationwide since May, according to federal health officials. — Sarah Morland, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Kennedy earlier this week defended the handling of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened at least 7,000 people in Michigan alone. — Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 23 July 2026

Just over two months in, over 1,000 people have died, and more than 2,400 people have been sickened by the virus. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 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