sick

1
[ sik ]
See synonyms for: sicksiccedsiccingsicked on Thesaurus.com

adjective,sick·er, sick·est.
  1. affected with ill health, disease, or illness; ailing.

  2. affected with nausea; inclined to vomit.

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

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

  3. characteristic of a sick mind: sick fancies.

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

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

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

  7. disgusted; chagrined.

  8. not in proper condition; impaired.

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

  10. Agriculture.

    • failing to sustain adequate harvests of some crop, usually specified: a wheat-sick soil.

    • containing harmful microorganisms: a sick field.

  11. Now Rare. menstruating.

nounUsually the sick .(used with a plural verb)
  1. sick persons collectively.

Idioms about sick

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

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

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

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

Origin of sick

1
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.

Other words for sick

Opposites for sick

Words Nearby sick

Other definitions for sick (2 of 2)

sick2
[ sik ]

verb (used with object)

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

How to use sick in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sick (1 of 2)

sick1

/ (sɪk) /


adjective
  1. 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 unwell: sick benefits

    • (in combination): sickroom

  1. deeply affected with a mental or spiritual feeling akin to physical sickness: sick at heart

  2. mentally, psychologically, or spiritually disturbed

  3. informal delighting in or catering for the macabre or sadistic; morbid: sick humour

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

  5. (often foll by for) weary with longing; pining: I am sick for my own country

  6. pallid or sickly

  7. not in working order

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

  9. look sick slang to be outclassed

noun, verb
  1. an informal word for vomit

Origin of sick

1
Old English sēoc; related to Old Norse skjūkr, Gothic siuks, Old High German sioh

Derived forms of sick

  • sickish, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for sick (2 of 2)

sick2

/ (sɪk) /


verb
  1. 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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.