sickly

[sik-lee]

adjective

sicklier, sickliest 

1. not strong; unhealthy; ailing.

   Synonyms: infirm, feeble, sick, puny, weak, frail

2. of, connected with, or arising from ill health.

   a sickly complexion.

3. marked by the prevalence of ill health, as a region.

   the epidemic left the town sickly.

4. causing sickness.

5. nauseating.

6. maudlin and insipid; mawkish.

   sickly sentimentality.

7. faint or feeble, as light or color.

adverb

1. in a sick or sickly manner.

verb (used with object)

sicklied, sicklying 

1. to cover with a sickly hue.

sickly

/ ˈsɪklɪ /

adjective

1. disposed to frequent ailments; not healthy; weak

2. of, relating to, or caused by sickness

3. (of a smell, taste, etc) causing revulsion or nausea

4. (of light or colour) faint or feeble

5. mawkish; insipid

   sickly affectation

adverb

1. in a sick or sickly manner

Other Word Forms

• sickliness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sickly¹

1300–50; Middle English siklich, sekly (adj.). See sick ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

But though “Lurker” could certainly push the envelope further, Matthew’s ascent, fall from grace and gradual climb back up wouldn’t feel as realistic as it needs to for the film to land its sickly ending.

From Salon

The island, given an appropriately sickly, uninviting sheen by cinematographer Mathias Herndl, clearly wasn’t big enough for all of these new-world experimenters.

From Los Angeles Times

Honoré tried to be a steadying force in a misinformation maelstrom and found himself veering between comforting the sickly and frightened and talking down heavily armed military forces training their guns on harmless flood victims.

From Salon

He looked sickly under the harsh studio lighting.

From Salon

When thinking about Scotland's prospects of turning the awe-inspiring, championship-chasing Les Bleus to a sickly shade of green on Saturday night in Paris, a scene from Dumb and Dumber comes to mind.

From BBC

Related Words

• ailing 
• cranky 
• feeble 
• infirm 
• lackluster