sick

¹

[sik]

adjective

sicker, sickest 

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

   She was sick with the flu for two weeks.

   Synonyms: indisposed, infirm
   Antonyms: healthy, hale, well

2. affected with nausea; inclined to vomit.

   If you feel sick, take a few deep breaths and wait for the feeling to pass.

   Synonyms: nauseated, nauseous

3. deeply affected with some unpleasant feeling, as of sorrow, disgust, or boredom.

   The suffering and torments of the wounded make me sick at heart.

   I never thought it would happen, but after two years of college I'm sick of parties.

4. mentally, morally, or emotionally deranged, corrupt, or unsound.

   Only someone with a sick mind would suggest such an immoral scheme.

   He made wild statements that made him seem sick.

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

   a sick comedian;

   sick jokes.

6. of, relating to, or for use during ill health.

   He applied for sick benefits.

7. accompanied by or suggestive of ill health; sickly.

   a sick pallor;

   the sick smell of disinfectant in the corridors.

8. disgusted; chagrined.

   Such blatant hypocrisy makes me sick.

9. not in proper condition; impaired.

   My car is sick and I'm afraid it's going to cost a lot of money to repair.

10. Slang.,  great; amazing.

    The plot is boring but the special effects are sick!

11. Agriculture.

    1. failing to sustain adequate harvests of some crop, usually specified.

       a wheat-sick soil.

    2. containing harmful microorganisms.

       a sick field.

12. Now Rare: Sometimes Offensive.,  menstruating.

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. people in ill health collectively.

   We have a duty of care toward the sick.

sick

²

[sik]

verb (used with object)

1. sic.

sick

¹

/ sɪk /

adjective

1. inclined or likely to vomit

2. 1. suffering from ill health

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the sick

3. 1. of, relating to, or used by people who are unwell

      sick benefits

   2. ( in combination )

      sickroom

4. deeply affected with a mental or spiritual feeling akin to physical sickness

   sick at heart

5. mentally, psychologically, or spiritually disturbed

6. informal,  delighting in or catering for the macabre or sadistic; morbid

   sick humour

7. Also: sick and tired. informal,  (often foll by of) disgusted or weary, esp because satiated

   I am sick of his everlasting laughter

8. (often foll by for) weary with longing; pining

   I am sick for my own country

9. pallid or sickly

10. not in working order

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

12. slang,  to be outclassed

noun

1. an informal word for vomit

sick

²

/ sɪk /

verb

1. a variant spelling of sic 2

Other Word Forms

• sickish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sick¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sick¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sick to one's stomach, nauseated.

2. sick and tired, utterly weary; fed up.

   I'm sick and tired of working so hard!

3. sick as a dog. dog.

4. sick at one's stomach, nauseated.

5. call in sick, to notify one's place of employment that one will be absent from work because of illness.

   I'd rather not call in sick tomorrow, but I'm not sure I can drive like this.

More idioms and phrases containing sick

• call in sick
• get sick
• make one sick
• worried sick

Synonym Study

See ill.

Example Sentences

It’s a quality that’s reflected in her eclectic style, busy travel schedule, Virgil Normal’s constantly changing selection and even the common feeling she gets when she’s sick of all of her clothes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In January, the EU said the main objective of the mission was to coordinate and facilitate the daily transit of up to 300 wounded and sick people.

Read more on Barron's

I love the things we have done, but now that the year is almost over and I see the sum in aggregate, I feel sick.

Read more on MarketWatch

Worries about airport delays have been a focal point in US media in recent days, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reporting an uptick in key airport workers calling in sick, causing delays.

Read more on Barron's

In turn, that often prompts those employees to call in sick or skip work for other reasons, as was the case during the 2018-19 shutdown.

Read more on MarketWatch