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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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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Recent Examples of sickly
The sight of the Kelly-green jerseys, against the sickly inchworm green of Veterans Stadium’s diabolical artificial turf, got its talons in me.
—
Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
In George Stevens’ 1956 epic Giant, Del Rey played the sickly Mrs. Obregon, who is cared for along with her baby by Taylor’s Leslie Benedict as an impatient Jett Rink (Dean) tries to rush her.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
Scenes centered on corporate stooges or government administrators are cast in bland browns and sickly yellows, while moments based in nature or the afterlife are bursting with bright blues, pinks, and greens.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
The water was a blur of teal fringed with rusty shadows, darkening, about twenty feet below, to a sickly emerald.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
In George Stevens’ 1956 epic Giant, Del Rey played the sickly Mrs. Obregon, who is cared for along with her baby by Taylor’s Leslie Benedict as an impatient Jett Rink (Dean) tries to rush her.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
Scenes centered on corporate stooges or government administrators are cast in bland browns and sickly yellows, while moments based in nature or the afterlife are bursting with bright blues, pinks, and greens.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
The water was a blur of teal fringed with rusty shadows, darkening, about twenty feet below, to a sickly emerald.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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This was the spring of 2020, however, and the impossibilities of international travel, and my dad’s frail health, delayed the journey.—
Eliza Griswold,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
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The op-ed also followed Biden's frail performance against President Donald Trump in the June 27 presidential debate.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But Palpatine's genius is less about those poisonous whispers than his plot to isolate Anakin from his friends.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Big Bay Boom fireworks create a toxic fog of fine particles, poisonous aerosols and heavy metals that harm air, water and soil — posing serious risks to birds, wildlife, pets and people.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In public comments to the federal agency, city leaders stressed how the Big Easy's already fragile, aging drinking water infrastructure would have trouble withstanding the impacts if the 2024 sill were to breach.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2025
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The film splinters the mind as pitilessly as previous Cronenberg movies went to work on the fragile, spongy body. 16.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Green 1 and 2: Both banned in 1965 due to a potential link to cancer. Sudan 1 and Butter Yellow: Banned in 1919 after it was found to be toxic and potentially carcinogenic.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
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However, two new studies suggest that mattresses firm enough for a child to sleep on safely may emit toxic chemicals that previous research indicates are linked to developmental delays and endocrine system disruptions.—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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It seems squarely aimed at making kids sick by discouraging vaccination.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2025
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Steward said his daughter, while surfing nearby, became sick with an infection from a type of bacteria called MRSA, which is resistant to many antibiotics.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The unhealthful effects of autocracy remain robust even when accounting for economic differences and when excluding Venezuela and its collapsing health-care system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
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However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Weak Treasury Demand Moved Rates More recently, in the wake of the administration’s chaotic trade policy rollout, Treasury security auctions did not go as expected, with weak demand pushing rates up higher than everyone expected.—
Norbert Michel,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Iran was at its weakest point since the 1980s, maybe since the Iranian revolution in 1979.—
Quinn Scanlan,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That includes toxic romantic relationships, unbalanced friendships and familial bonds, unhealthy work environments, and more.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
18 Apr. 2025
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Americans increasingly view alcohol as unhealthy, with recent studies linking alcohol to cancer, and federal health officials attribute 178,000 deaths a year to excess drinking.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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