1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
lungs scarred by years of exposure to the sickly air of the coal mines
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sickly
There are some exceptions to this guideline, like when a neighbor allows a sickly tree to decline rather than taking care of the problem.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
In neighborhoods from Maine to the Midwest, homeowners say the sickly gray squirrels are turning up in backyards and around bird feeders.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2025
The sickly girl demands more time among the living.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
Séamus McLean Ross costars on Blood of My Blood as a young Colum MacKenzie, the sickly brother of Ellen and Dougal, who goes on to become laird of the clan.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
In neighborhoods from Maine to the Midwest, homeowners say the sickly gray squirrels are turning up in backyards and around bird feeders.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2025
The sickly girl demands more time among the living.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
Séamus McLean Ross costars on Blood of My Blood as a young Colum MacKenzie, the sickly brother of Ellen and Dougal, who goes on to become laird of the clan.
—EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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Some people are screaming at the air, their pants falling off their frail frames.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
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Some older people or those who are frail may not be able to generate enough of a strong, quick breath to effectively inhale the dry powdered version of the medicine.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mothballs are poisonous and represent a significant danger to the family dog, especially those that tend to eat first and ask questions later.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
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Horse chestnuts are poisonous and not edible.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The movie flattening Carrie into someone downtrodden and fragile, rather than standoffish and conflicted, makes the whole resolution feel a little too clean.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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Acts of violence have shown how fragile coexistence can be, and how quickly fear can replace understanding.—
Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This action starts the process of clearing toxic species, which restores the blood vessels’ natural role as an effective waste-clearing pathway.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and raw dough all pose serious risks due to toxic ingredients or fermentation byproducts.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Without a promise of pay, many air traffic controllers have called in sick or just not shown up for work.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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Egg prices fell a bit, fewer sick poultry flocks were culled on farms and officials took a breath.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
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Health professionals encourage people to use lean cuts of meat because most of the fat in animal products is unhealthful saturated fat, which can raise the risk of heart disease and cancer.—
Bethany Thayer,
Detroit Free Press,
22 June 2024
Adjective
-
Stevenson has become more intentional with his efforts to understand offensive concepts and routes and the ways opposing teams often attack his weak spots.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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But this weaker god jumped in without hesitation and was gifted the ability to become Tonatiuh, the sun.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Soon, olive loaf was perceived as unhealthy.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Residents across parts of Indianapolis, Indiana, faced potentially unhealthy levels of air pollution early Friday, a live map from AirNow, a partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other agencies showed.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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