Sick — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈsik/

Meaning & Definition of Sick

Sick (adjective)

  1. affected with disease or ill health, ailing
  2. of, relating to, or intended for use in sickness
  3. queasy, nauseated

Sick (noun)

  1. vomit

Sick (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body

    "those coworkers who always seem to get sick immediately before or after long holiday weekends"

    similar: ailing, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, poorly, punk, run-down, sickened, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, out of sorts, under the weather
    related: symptomatic, cruddy, lousy, seedy, sickish, nauseated, nauseous, qualmish, queasy, squeamish, airsick, carsick, seasick, dizzy, light-headed, shaky, woozy, achy, feverish, diseased, disordered, decrepit, feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, invalid, sickly, weak, weakly, afflicted, troubled, debilitated, disabled, incapacitated, hypochondriac, hypochondriacal
    opposite: hale, healthful, healthy, sound, well, whole, wholesome
    near: able-bodied, conditioned, fit, well-conditioned, cured, better, convalescing, improved, mending, recovering, recuperating, rehabilitated, hardy, hearty, lusty, robust, rugged, stalwart, strong, tough, blooming, bouncing, chipper, flourishing, flush, thriving

  2. filled with disgust

    "it makes me sick to think of someone hurting a helpless animal"

    similar: disgusted, nauseated, repelled, repulsed, revolted, shocked, sickened
    related: fed up, weary, angered, angry, apoplectic, cheesed off (chiefly British), displeased, enraged, fuming, furious, horn-mad, incensed, indignant, infuriated, irate, livid, mad, outraged, rankled, riled, roiled, shirty (chiefly British), sore, steaming, teed off, ticked, upset, worked up, wrought (up)
    near: delighted, gratified, pleased, satisfied, thankful, thrilled, tickled, beguiled, bewitched, captivated, charmed, enchanted, enthralled, entranced, fascinated, mesmerized, spellbound

  3. affected with nausea

    "the bumpy ride made her sick to her stomach"

    similar: ill, nauseated, nauseous, qualmish, queasy, queer, queerish, sickish, squeamish
    related: green, peaked, peaky, sickly, unsettled, upset, woozy
    near: settled, healthy, well

  4. having one's patience, interest, or pleasure exhausted

    "I'm sick of listening to this radio station"

    similar: bored, fed up, jaded, sick and tired, tired, wearied, weary
    related: apathetic, disinterested, uninterested, glutted, sated, satiated, surfeited, dejected, demoralized, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, beat, burned-out, bushed, done in, drained, enervated, exhausted, fatigued, limp, played out, tuckered (out), worn-out, annoyed, exasperated, frustrated, irritated, disgusted, nauseated, repulsed, blasé, world-weary
    opposite: absorbed, engaged, engrossed, interested, intrigued, rapt
    near: animated, energized, enlivened, excited, galvanized, invigorated, stimulated, vitalized, amused, entertained, beguiled, bewitched, captivated, charmed, enchanted, enthralled, fascinated, hypnotized, mesmerized, delighted, pleased, thrilled

  5. having or showing lowered moral character or standards

    "some people insisted that only a sick soul could write such books"

    similar: corrupt, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, dissipated, dissolute, jackleg, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, rakehell, rakish, reprobate, unclean, unwholesome, warped
    related: bent (chiefly British), crooked, cutthroat, dishonest, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, bad, evil, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, nefarious, sinful, vicious, wicked
    opposite: pure, uncorrupt, uncorrupted
    near: incorruptible, ethical, honest, principled, good, moral, righteous, virtuous

Related Entry: Sic (verb)

Sic is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for sic, not for sick.

  1. to take sudden, violent action against

    "commanded the attack dogs to sic 'em"

    similar: assail, assault, attack, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), raid, rush, set on, storm, strike, trash, turn (on), beat up on, fly at, go at, light into, pitch into, round on, set at, set upon, tear into
    related: bum-rush, gang up (on), mob, swarm, mug, rob, ambuscade, ambush, surprise, waylay, blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke, barrage, cannon, cannonade, bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster, beleaguer, besiege, press, harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, foray, invade, overrun, envelop, flank
    near: cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield

Related Entry: Sick and tired (adjective)

Sick and tired is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for sick and tired, not for sick.

  1. having one's patience, interest, or pleasure exhausted

    "was sick and tired of wasting her time at long, pointless meetings"

    similar: bored, fed up, jaded, sick, tired, wearied, weary
    related: apathetic, disinterested, uninterested, glutted, sated, satiated, surfeited, dejected, demoralized, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, beat, burned-out, bushed, done in, drained, enervated, exhausted, fatigued, limp, played out, tuckered (out), worn-out, annoyed, exasperated, frustrated, irritated, disgusted, nauseated, repulsed, blasé, world-weary
    opposite: absorbed, engaged, engrossed, interested, intrigued, rapt
    near: animated, energized, enlivened, excited, galvanized, invigorated, stimulated, vitalized, amused, entertained, beguiled, bewitched, captivated, charmed, enchanted, enthralled, fascinated, hypnotized, mesmerized, delighted, pleased, thrilled

Related Entry: Sick bay (noun)

Sick bay is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for sick bay, not for sick.

  1. a place for the treatment of those who are ill or injured

    "The new naval vessel includes a state-of-the-art sick bay."

    similar: clinic, hospital, infirmary, medical center, sickroom, hospice, sanatorium, sanitarium, sanitorium, halfway house, home

Related Entry: Sick-out (noun)

Sick-out is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for sick-out, not for sick.

  1. as in sit-in, go-slow

    similar: go-slow (British), job action, sit-down, sit-in, slowdown, sympathetic strike, sympathy strike, lockout, strike, walkout

Related Entry: Sick-outs (noun)

Sick-outs is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for sick-outs, not for sick.

  1. as in sit-ins, go-slows

    similar: go-slows (British), job actions, sit-downs, sit-ins, slowdowns, sympathetic strikes, sympathy strikes, lockouts, strikes, walkouts

Related Entry: Sick bays (noun)

Sick bays is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for sick bays, not for sick.

  1. a place for the treatment of those who are ill or injured

    "The new naval vessel includes a state-of-the-art sick bay."

    similar: clinics, hospitals, infirmaries, medical centers, sickrooms, hospices, sanatoriums, sanitaria, sanitoria, halfway houses, homes

Related Entry: Lovesick (adjective)

Lovesick is a different word from Sick. The synonyms below are for lovesick, not for sick.

  1. unhappy because of love; feeling weak, foolish, or unhappy because someone you love does not love you

    "The movie is a comedy about a lovesick teenager."

    similar: enamored, infatuated, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, loving, tender, tenderhearted, caring, compassionate, considerate, cordial, doting, forgiving, friendly, humane, kind, understanding, warmhearted, ardent, fervent, impassioned, passionate, warm, amatory, amorous, erotic, lovey-dovey, mushy, romantic, sappy, sentimental, brotherly, fatherly, motherly, sisterly
    opposite: aloof, antisocial, cold-eyed, cool, detached, distant, dry, frosty, hard-hearted, indifferent, offish, pitiless, remote, reserved, standoffish, unbending, uncaring, unfeeling, disaffected, unconcerned, uninvolved, cold, frigid, unfriendly, callous, cold-blooded, hard-boiled, heartless, ruthless, soulless, unromantic, unsentimental, unloving

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sick

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sick:

ailing, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, poorly, punk, run-down, sickened, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, disgusted, nauseated, repelled, repulsed, revolted, shocked, nauseous, qualmish, queasy, queer, queerish, sickish, squeamish, bored, fed up, jaded, sick and tired, tired, wearied, weary, corrupt, debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sick

Words with the opposite meaning of Sick:

hale, healthful, healthy, sound, well, whole, wholesome, absorbed, engaged, engrossed, interested, intrigued, rapt, pure, uncorrupt, uncorrupted

Related Words for Sick

symptomatic, cruddy, lousy, seedy, airsick, carsick, seasick, dizzy, light-headed, shaky, woozy, achy, feverish, diseased, disordered, decrepit, feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, invalid, sickly, weak, weakly, afflicted, troubled, debilitated, disabled, incapacitated, hypochondriac

Near Antonyms of Sick

able-bodied, conditioned, fit, well-conditioned, cured, better, convalescing, improved, mending, recovering, recuperating, rehabilitated, hardy, hearty, lusty, robust, rugged, stalwart, strong, tough, blooming, bouncing, chipper, flourishing, flush, thriving, delighted, gratified, pleased, satisfied

Word Forms of Sick

Inflections: sicker, sickest

Origin & Etymology of Sick

Middle English sek, sik, from Old English sēoc; akin to Old High German sioh sick

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Sick

Words & Phrases Containing Sick

sick and tired, sick bay, sick building syndrome, sick call, sick day, sick headache, sick leave

Frequently Asked Questions about Sick

What does "Sick" mean?

"Sick" means affected with disease or ill health, ailing. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: affected with disease or ill health, ailing. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sick"?

Other words for "Sick" include ailing, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky and poorly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sick" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sick"?

There are 164 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sick". Common alternatives include ailing, bad, down, ill, indisposed, peaked, peaky, poorly, punk and run-down.

What is the opposite of "Sick"?

Antonyms of "Sick" include hale, healthful, healthy, sound, well, whole, wholesome and absorbed. Near antonyms include able-bodied, conditioned, fit and well-conditioned.

How do you use "Sick" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sick" in a sentence: "those coworkers who always seem to get sick immediately before or after long holiday weekends"; "it makes me sick to think of someone hurting a helpless animal"; "the bumpy ride made her sick to her stomach".

Is "Sick" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Sick" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Sick" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Sick" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Sick"?

"Sick" is pronounced /ˈsik/.