sick

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsik 

sicker; sickest

1

a(1)

: affected with disease or ill health : ailing

(2)

: of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness

took five sick days this month

a sick ward

b

: queasy, nauseated

sick to one's stomach

was sick in the car

c

: undergoing menstruation

2

: spiritually or morally unsound or corrupt

3

a

: sickened by strong emotion

sick with fear

worried sick

b

: having a strong distaste from surfeit : satiated

sick of flattery

c

: filled with disgust or chagrin

gossip makes me sick

d

: depressed and longing for something

sick for one's home

4

a

: mentally or emotionally unsound or disordered : morbid

sick thoughts

b

: highly distasteful : macabre, sadistic

sick jokes

a sick crime

5

: lacking vigor : sickly: such as

a

: badly outclassed

made the competition look sick

b

: incapable of producing profitable yields of a crop

sick soils

6

slang : outstandingly or amazingly good or impressive

Rookie was phenomenal Friday. His goal was nice, but the pass to twin brother, Chris, … was downright sick.

—Roy Lang III

sick

2 of 2

noun

British

: vomit sense 1

Synonyms

Adjective

• ailing
• bad
• down
• ill
• indisposed
• peaked
• peaky
• poorly
• punk
• run-down
• sickened
• unhealthy
• unsound
• unwell

Examples of sick in a Sentence

Adjective

He is at home sick in bed.

She is sick with the flu.

I'm too sick to go to work.

The medicine just made me sicker.

The sickest patients are in intensive care.

My poor rosebush looks sick.

She has been on the sick list all week.

The way they treat people makes me sick.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The people who got sick were from seven states: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio. —Ashia Aubourg, SELF, 21 Nov. 2023

Well, 72% of respondents agree that a bad night’s sleep tanks their productivity the next day, citing feeling distracted (61% of respondents), failing to accomplish goals (42%), and even calling out sick (25%). —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023

One person died in California and another became sick while pregnant and had preterm labor, the agency noted. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023

Infectious diseases are spread from close contact with a sick person or surfaces that are contaminated, according to Stacey Rubin Rose, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 20 Nov. 2023

The evacuation, which Israel says was voluntary, left behind only Israeli troops and a small number of health workers to care for those too sick to move. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 19 Nov. 2023

Viruses can get sick in the sense that their normal function is impaired. —The Conversation, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023

Despite attempts from health workers to evacuate some of Gaza’s biggest hospitals and promises from Israeli forces to allow those who are wounded and sick to go south, efforts appear to be failing. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023

Netanyahu said other countries, including France, were creating floating and field hospitals to take in injured and sick patients. —Doug Cameron, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sek, sik, from Old English sēoc; akin to Old High German sioh sick

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1957, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sick

• sick building syndrome
• sick as a dog
• one sick puppy
• report sick
• sick and tired
• out sick
• makes me sick to my stomach
• going to be sick
• anointing of the sick
• call in sick
• be sick
• off sick
• (as) sick as a dog
• feel sick
• sick bay
• sick at heart
• sick with worry
• take sick
• sick time
• sick up
• sick to one's stomach
• sick-out
• sick leave
• the sick and dying
• sick pay
• worry (oneself) sick
• sick call
• sick headache
• the sick
• fall sick
• sick day
• rang in sick
• worried sick

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• sick building syndrome
• sick as a dog
• one sick puppy
• report sick
• sick and tired
• out sick
• makes me sick to my stomach
• going to be sick
• anointing of the sick
• call in sick
• be sick
• off sick
• (as) sick as a dog
• feel sick
• sick bay
• sick at heart
• sick with worry
• take sick
• sick time
• sick up
• sick to one's stomach
• sick-out
• sick leave
• the sick and dying
• sick pay
• worry (oneself) sick
• sick call
• sick headache
• the sick
• fall sick
• sick day
• rang in sick
• worried sick

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Kids Definition

sick

adjective

ˈsik

1

a

: affected with disease or ill health

b

: of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness

sick pay

a sick ward

c

: affected with or accompanied by nausea : queasy sense 1

felt sick to her stomach

2

a

: badly upset by strong emotion

sick with shame

worried sick

b

: tired of something from having too much of it

sick of their whining

c

: filled with disgust

such gossip makes me sick

3

: mentally or emotionally unsound or disturbed

sick thoughts

Medical Definition

sick

adjective

ˈsik 

1

a

: affected with disease or ill health

b

: of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness

a sick ward

c

: affected with nausea : inclined to vomit or being in the act of vomiting

sick to one's stomach

was sick in the car

2

: mentally or emotionally unsound or disordered