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

In early January, the CDC reported that an outbreak on board a Holland America cruise ship had sickened more than 80 people after departing from Fort Lauderdale at the end of December. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026

Over the course of the outbreak, more than 8,000 people were sickened and nearly 800 died in over 37 countries. —Kate Perez, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026

The bill’s author, Phil Ting, said at the time the bill was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which sickened tens of thousands of prisoners and killed over 200. —Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026

Just like in humans, salmonella exposure can sicken pets, causing lethargy, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever and a decreased appetite. —Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 2 Mar. 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