sick

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsik How to pronounce sick (audio)
sicker; sickest
Synonyms of sicknext
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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The vaccine doesn’t prevent 100% of infections, but those who are vaccinated and still get sick typically have milder illness, according to the CDC. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024 Americans don't appear to be getting sick with respiratory illnesses just yet, according to federal health data. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 Gwen Stefani nurses sick kitten back to health, gives him Blake Shelton's last name Shelton noticed the similarities immediately. —EW.com, 21 Nov. 2024 Vaccines can also help prevent getting sick with pertussis in the first place. —Alix Martichoux, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sick 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sick was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing sick

Dictionary Entries Near sick

sic itur ad astra

sick

sick-abed

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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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 How to pronounce sick (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on sick

Nglish: Translation of sick for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sick for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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