sickening

1 of 2

adjective

sick·​en·​ing ˈsi-kə-niŋ 

ˈsik-niŋ

: causing sickness or disgust

a sickening odor

a sickening display

sickeningly

ˈsi-kə-niŋ-lē 

ˈsik-niŋ-

adverb

sickening

2 of 2

present participle of sicken

Synonyms of sickening

Adjective

• disgusting
• horrible
• awful
• shocking
• ugly
• hideous
• obnoxious
• obscene
• offensive
• dreadful

Examples of sickening in a Sentence

Adjective

a sickening display of selfishness

We heard the squeal of brakes and a sickening thud.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Everyone felt the sickening harsh reality that this had happened on our sovereign soil and that it was meant to be an affront to everyone who felt pride in being an American. — Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Contacted with questions and examples of the sickening videos, Meta offered a brief statement. — Jon Christian, Futurism, 9 Sep. 2026

Carter’s sickening spree ultimately came to an end after he was arrested by Detective Pete Willis. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Months later, with vaccination rates still dangerously low, measles broke out, sickening thousands. — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1789, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sickening

• be sickening for

Rhymes for sickening

• quickening
• thickening

Kids Definition

sickening

adjective

sick·​en·​ing

ˈsik-(ə-)niŋ

: causing sickness or disgust

a sickening sight

sickeningly adverb

Medical Definition

sickening

adjective

sick·​en·​ing ˈsik-(ə-)niŋ 

: causing sickness or nausea