sick

[ sik ]

/ sɪk /

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See synonyms for: sick / sicced / siccing / sicked on Thesaurus.com

adjective, sick·er, sick·est.

affected with ill health, disease, or illness; ailing.

affected with nausea; inclined to vomit.

deeply affected with some unpleasant feeling, as of sorrow, disgust, or boredom: sick at heart; to be sick of parties.

mentally, morally, or emotionally deranged, corrupt, or unsound: a sick mind; wild statements that made him seem sick.

characteristic of a sick mind: sick fancies.

dwelling on or obsessed with that which is gruesome, sadistic, ghoulish, or the like; morbid: a sick comedian;sick jokes.

of, relating to, or for use during sickness: He applied for sick benefits.

accompanied by or suggestive of sickness; sickly: a sick pallor;the sick smell of disinfectant in the corridors.

disgusted; chagrined.

not in proper condition; impaired.

Slang. great; amazing: The plot is boring but the special effects are sick!

Agriculture.

failing to sustain adequate harvests of some crop, usually specified: a wheat-sick soil.
containing harmful microorganisms: a sick field.

Now Rare. menstruating.

noun Usually the sick .(used with a plural verb)

sick persons collectively.

OTHER WORDS FOR sick

1 infirm, indisposed.

2 nauseous, nauseated.

See synonyms for sick on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR sick

1 well, hale, healthy.

See antonyms for sick on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about sick

call in sick, to notify one's place of employment by telephone that one will be absent from work because of being ill.

sick and tired, utterly weary; fed up: I'm sick and tired of working so hard!

sick at one's stomach, Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. nauseated.

sick to one's stomach, Chiefly Northern, North Midland, and Western U.S. nauseated.

Origin of sick

First recorded before 900; Middle English sik, sek, Old English sēoc; cognate with Dutch ziek, German siech, Old Norse sjūkr, Gothic siuks

synonym study for sick

1. See ill.

Words nearby sick

Sicilian, siciliano, Sicilian Vespers, Sicilies, Two, Sicily, sick, sick and tired, sick as a dog, sick at heart, sick bay, sickbed

Other definitions for sick (2 of 2)

sick²

[ sik ]

/ sɪk /

verb (used with object)

sic¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sick in a sentence

We don’t want to see our clients get sick or die in prison, totally cut off from their loved ones.
Federal Jail Downtown Now Has One of the Country’s Worst COVID Outbreaks|Maya Srikrishnan|September 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Many students worry about family or friends who may get sick, Sana notes.
Top 10 tips on how to study smarter, not longer|Kathiann Kowalski|September 9, 2020|Science News For Students
She said that it’s too early to determine the sick participant’s specific diagnosis.
Some scientists downplay significance of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine trial halt|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 9, 2020|Fortune
That, in turn, cuts the risk someone will encounter enough virus to make them sick.
Here’s how COVID-19 is changing classes this year|Bethany Brookshire|September 8, 2020|Science News For Students

And, he said, the tests can act as an early warning system by alerting officials that people in a community like a dorm are infected a week before they might become sick enough to seek tests on their own.
A New Kind of College Exam: UCSD Is Testing Sewage for COVID-19|Randy Dotinga|September 7, 2020|Voice of San Diego
And not just sick in the body but in your mind, because you start obsessing.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I was sick in street gutters, onto my desk, at dinners with friends.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We are the sick ones who torment trans people every day of their lives.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Is there any chance the potential 2016 hopeful will stand up to the right and embrace paid sick leave?
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It happens, of course, but the less time a person is sick, the better their chances of recovery.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Duchess had also a tent for their sick men; so that we had a small town of our own here, and every body employed.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
I suppose he is sick of the sound of them, or perhaps it is because he feels obliged to be conscientious in teaching Beethoven!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
After the battle of the Pyramids he fell sick, and before the Syrian expedition, applied to return to France.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
So we placed some of these holy relics upon the sick man, at the same time offering our vows for him, and then he improved.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
One was to the deanship, of Santiago de Castro, a sick man who has not left his house for more than three years.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sick (1 of 2)

sick¹

/ (sɪk) /

adjective

inclined or likely to vomit

suffering from ill health
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the sick

of, relating to, or used by people who are unwellsick benefits
(in combination)sickroom

deeply affected with a mental or spiritual feeling akin to physical sicknesssick at heart

mentally, psychologically, or spiritually disturbed

informal delighting in or catering for the macabre or sadistic; morbidsick humour

Also: sick and tired (often foll by of) informal disgusted or weary, esp because satiatedI am sick of his everlasting laughter

(often foll by for) weary with longing; piningI am sick for my own country

pallid or sickly

not in working order

(of land) unfit for the adequate production of certain crops

look sick slang to be outclassed

noun, verb

an informal word for vomit

Derived forms of sick

sickish, adjective

Word Origin for sick

Old English sēoc; related to Old Norse skjūkr, Gothic siuks, Old High German sioh

British Dictionary definitions for sick (2 of 2)

sick²

/ (sɪk) /

verb

a variant spelling of sic 2

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with sick

sick

In addition to the idioms beginning with sick

sick and tired
sick as a dog
sick at heart
sick in bed
sick joke
sick to one's stomach

also see:

call in sick
get sick
make one sick
worried sick

sick

OTHER WORDS FOR sick

OPPOSITES FOR sick

Idioms about sick

Origin of sick

synonym study for sick

Words nearby sick

Other definitions for sick (2 of 2)

Words related to sick

How to use sick in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sick (1 of 2)

Derived forms of sick

Word Origin for sick

British Dictionary definitions for sick (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with sick