sickly

1 of 3

adjective

sick·​ly ˈsi-klē 

1

: somewhat unwell

also : habitually ailing

2

: produced by or associated with sickness

a sickly complexion

a sickly appetite

3

: producing or tending to produce disease : unwholesome

a sickly climate

4

a

: appearing as if sick

b

: lacking in vigor : weak

a sickly plant

5

: sickening

a sickly odor

sickliness noun

sickly

2 of 3

adverb

sicklier; sickliest

: in a manner indicating, causing, or suggestive of sickness

Walking blindly, every step making him sick with pain, he … covered his face as much as he could, and struggled sickly along.

—D. H. Lawrence

His face turned a sickly shade of yellow.

—Rick Riordan

—sometimes used figuratively

Nick was the perfect boy for me. We were that sickly-sweet couple who never fought.

—Sara Harari

sickly

3 of 3

verb

sicklied; sicklying; sicklies

transitive verb

: to make sick or sickly

Synonyms

Adjective

• ailing
• invalid
• weakly

Examples of sickly in a Sentence

Adjective

The walls were painted a sickly yellow.

The lamp gave off a sickly glow.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Halfway through its set, the warm-and-fuzzy community feel began to fade as a musty humidity, reminiscent of a YMCA locker room, mingled with the sickly sweet scent of vape and spilled beer. —Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2024

Images spring to mind of sickly calves torn from their mothers and tethered in crates, force-fed a diet of hormones and antibiotics just to sustain their short, miserable lives. —Keith Pandolfi, Saveur, 15 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1572, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1763, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sickly

adjective

sick·​ly

ˈsik-lē

sicklier; sickliest

1

: somewhat sick : often ailing

was sickly as a child

2

: caused by or associated with ill health

a sickly complexion

3

a

: tending to produce disease

a sickly climate

b

: appearing as if sick

a sickly flame

c

: not growing well :

a sickly plant

d

: sickening

a sickly odor

Medical Definition

sickly

adjective

sick·​ly ˈsik-lē 

1

: somewhat unwell

also : habitually ailing

a sickly child

2

: produced by or associated with sickness

a sickly complexion

3

: producing or tending to produce disease

a sickly climate

4

: tending to produce nausea

a sickly odor