1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sickly
For reasons that are still poorly understood, the body’s immune system, normally tuned exquisitely to root out and destroy invasive pathogens or sickly cells, begins to assault healthy cells instead.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Given the choice of pulling out of half of their in-game buys during the sleepier quarters, marketers may choose to exercise those options if a recession is in full, sickly bloom.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Smog compromised the health of kids and the sickly and the elderly.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Given the choice of pulling out of half of their in-game buys during the sleepier quarters, marketers may choose to exercise those options if a recession is in full, sickly bloom.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Smog compromised the health of kids and the sickly and the elderly.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Exceptions will be made for people who are too medically frail to work or in addiction treatment programs, among others.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Hydrangeas are poisonous to dogs and cats.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 May 2026
-
Restoring the balance of the humors through profusely bleeding the patient or inducing vomiting or diarrhea with the poisonous plant hellebore.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
American frontier labs hold the lead on models, chips, and lithography — but the report finds near-unanimous conviction among leaders that this advantage is fragile.—
Rachel Keidan,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
-
Although the population size seems to be stable, threats from climate change — rising ocean levels surrounding small islands — and from the ongoing loss of their habitat to human development will take a toll on their already fragile island worlds over the coming decades.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The mayor’s veto eliminated a measure to reduce public hostility at a time of toxic divisions fraying the city.—
Andrew Cuomo,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
Harsh chemicals are prone to damaging grout over time, which can lead to issues like grout becoming porous and then collecting toxic fumes from cleaners that are then released back into the air.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that operates the ship, said the two sick people on board were crew members who required urgent medical are.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
There are 88 passengers — including one who has died — and 61 crew members, two of whom are sick, onboard, the operator said Monday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
-
Conditions change quickly, signals conflict with each other, and weak assumptions tend to get exposed without much delay.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The agency advises limiting outdoor activities during unhealthy air days.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
Whether at the grocery store, or driving past a fast-food restaurant, she's less tempted to buy an extra or unhealthy snack.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
