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

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sickening British  

/ ˈsɪkənɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing sickness or revulsion

2. informal extremely annoying

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Other Word Forms

• sickeningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of sickening

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

Example Sentences

In fact, such a thing had been in the works since the 1950s, but instead of hurrying to get them assembly-line ready as L.A. was sickening with smog, Detroit just made bigger, filthier cars.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

"The callous way in which you walked away from the mayhem was sickening to watch. You blamed a phantom driver."

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Sir Elton John has said it was "truly sickening" to learn of how the Daily Mail breached his family's privacy in relation to the birth of his son Zachary, the High Court has heard.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," they said.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

She felt a nausea of the soul, a hideous and sickening despair, a melancholy weariness so profound that she was going to die of it.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• nasty
• putrid