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Showing results for "sickening"
  • present participle of sicken.
SEE ALSO:
Slang dictionary results for sickening.
Synonyms

sickening

American  
[sik-uh-ning] / ˈsɪk ə nɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing or capable of causing sickness, especially nausea, disgust, or loathing.

    sickening arrogance.

    Synonyms:
    loathsome, disgusting, nauseating

sickening British  
/ ˈsɪkənɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing sickness or revulsion

  2. informal extremely annoying

"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

Etymology

Origin of sickening

First recorded in 1715–25; sicken + -ing 2

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.

See Examples For:

The cyclospora outbreak has become the nation’s largest of its kind, sickening thousands of people.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Despite the uptick, officials say California is not included in the cyclosporiasis outbreak that’s hit 15 states, sickening tens of thousands of people with prolonged bouts of diarrhea.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

And I would be living within walking distance of a sickening number of farmers markets.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

"It was sickening how into it they were," he said.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

With Eilonwy beside him, he continued gingerly, setting each foot carefully, remembering the sudden, sickening fall that had brought him there in the first place.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

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