Synonyms

sicken

American

[sik-uhn] / ˈsɪk ən /

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become sick.
to cause or experience disgust, outrage, or loathing.

Synonyms:

upset, outrage, disgust, revolt, revolt, repulse

sicken British

/ ˈsɪkən /

verb

to make or become sick, nauseated, or disgusted
to show symptoms (of an illness)

"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 Word Forms

resicken verb
unsickened adjective

Etymology

Origin of sicken

1150–1200; Middle English seknen, sicnen; cognate with Old Norse sjūkna. See sick ¹, -en ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The sickening white of its twisting belly flashed in the firelight.

From Literature

Torak had just done so, and caught a sickening glimpse .of the void below.

From Literature

A Washington environmental group found that a Chinese cobalt plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo sickened locals as it raced to increase production of a mineral critical for electric-vehicle batteries.

From The Wall Street Journal

With a sickening crunch I landed on the ledge.

From Literature

My stomach did a sickening flip as I made the mistake of looking down to the pavement nine stories below.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023