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

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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.

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

And then Mrs. Ostrich gets mad too, and sicks Reginald onto her.
Danny's Own Story|Don Marquis
I think at first that they were like dogs that someone sicks into a fight.
Shelled by an Unseen Foe|James Fiske

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

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