sick

1 of 2

adjective

sicker; sickest
1
a(1)
: affected with disease or ill health : ailing
(2)
: of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness
took five sick days this month
a sick ward
b
: queasy, nauseated
sick to one's stomach
was sick in the car
c
: undergoing menstruation
2
: spiritually or morally unsound or corrupt
3
a
: sickened by strong emotion
sick with fear
worried sick
b
: having a strong distaste from surfeit : satiated
sick of flattery
c
: filled with disgust or chagrin
gossip makes me sick
d
: depressed and longing for something
sick for one's home
4
a
: mentally or emotionally unsound or disordered : morbid
sick thoughts
b
: highly distasteful : macabre, sadistic
sick jokes
a sick crime
5
: lacking vigor : sickly: such as
a
: badly outclassed
made the competition look sick
b
: incapable of producing profitable yields of a crop
sick soils
6
slang : outstandingly or amazingly good or impressive
Rookie was phenomenal Friday. His goal was nice, but the pass to twin brother, Chris, … was downright sick.Roy Lang III

sick

2 of 2

noun

British

Examples of sick in a Sentence

Adjective He is at home sick in bed. She is sick with the flu. I'm too sick to go to work. The medicine just made me sicker. The sickest patients are in intensive care. My poor rosebush looks sick. She has been on the sick list all week. The way they treat people makes me sick.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As Fran talks and talks—not only with Owen but also with her sick sister, Trish (Florencia Lozano), and their other, more uptight sister, Susie (Andrea Syglowski)—it’s hard not to think about how two of Shanley’s lasting interests, on display brilliantly in these plays, fit together. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The celebration, now its 35th year, pays homage and thanks the patron saint of the poor and sick, St. John of God, who the fireworks' producers — a mainstay of the town’s economy — view as a protective figure. Fernanda Pesce and Alexis Triboulard, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 The outing reportedly came to be because a mutual friend who was originally set to accompany Frederik around Madrid got sick, and asked Casanova, who is an expert in Picasso art, to go in his stead. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 But neither Teresa nor Jenny was ever as sick as Shannan was in childhood—due perhaps to chance or to being diagnosed and starting treatments earlier in life. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 Many more workers are going to get sick and die on the job here in FL in the absence of any local or state heat protections. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 An attorney for the zoo told jurors the animals’ cages were dirty because they were seized before daily cleanings and that some animals were thin or sick because of their advanced age, not mistreatment. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 People can also get sick if a bird bites them or through beak-to-mouth contact. Jen Christensen, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Those actions include staying at home when sick, staying up to date with vaccines, practicing good hygiene, and improving indoor air quality. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sek, sik, from Old English sēoc; akin to Old High German sioh sick

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sick was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sick

Cite this Entry

“Sick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sick

adjective
ˈsik
1
a
: affected with disease or ill health
b
: of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness
sick pay
a sick ward
c
: affected with or accompanied by nausea : queasy sense 1
felt sick to her stomach
2
a
: badly upset by strong emotion
sick with shame
worried sick
b
: tired of something from having too much of it
sick of their whining
c
: filled with disgust
such gossip makes me sick
3
: mentally or emotionally unsound or disturbed
sick thoughts

Medical Definition

sick

adjective
1
a
: affected with disease or ill health
b
: of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness
a sick ward
c
: affected with nausea : inclined to vomit or being in the act of vomiting
sick to one's stomach
was sick in the car
2
: mentally or emotionally unsound or disordered

More from Merriam-Webster on sick

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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