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

Last year, another Legionnaires' outbreak in Harlem killed seven people and sickened dozens of others. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Most healthy individuals are not sickened by exposure, but high-risk populations can face severe health consequences. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

At ground zero, relatives shared enduring grief and final phone calls, while organizers added a tribute for thousands sickened or killed by toxic dust long after the towers fell. — Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The outbreak, spanning 21 states, has sickened at least 12,883 people, among whom 570 have been hospitalized and two died, according to the FDA and CDC, as of Friday. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 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