sicken

verb

sick·​en ˈsi-kən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
sickened; sickening ˈsi-kə-niŋ How to pronounce sicken (audio)
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 How to pronounce sicken (audio)
ˈsik-nər
noun

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
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.
Fresh & Ready Foods is voluntarily recalling numerous products, after at least 10 people in the U.S. have been sickened in a listeria outbreak linked to its ready-to-eat food products, federal officials said. CBS News, 13 May 2025 Climate change could fuel the spread of a fungus that can sicken and even kill people, as well as threaten crops, according to a study posted on the preprint server Research Square. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2025 The outbreak — which killed one person and sickened at least 88 more — was linked to romaine lettuce and spanned at least 15 states, including Missouri and Indiana. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025 The outbreak sickened more than 700 people and resulted in the deaths of four children. Casey Luc, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sicken

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sicken was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sicken. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

sicken

verb
sick·​en ˈsik-ən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
sickened; sickening -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce sicken (audio)
: to make or become sick

Medical Definition

sicken

transitive verb
sick·​en ˈsik-ən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
: to make sick

intransitive verb

: to become sick

More from Merriam-Webster on sicken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!