sicken

verb

sick·​en ˈsi-kən 

sickened; sickening ˈsi-kə-niŋ 

ˈsik-niŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to become sick

2

: to become weary or satiated

transitive verb

1

: to make sick

2

: to cause revulsion in

their prejudice sickens me

sickener

ˈsi-kə-nər 

ˈsik-nər

noun

Synonyms

• disgust
• gross out
• nauseate
• put off
• repel
• repulse
• revolt
• turn off

Examples of sicken in a Sentence

Many people sickened and died on the long voyage.

The bacteria in the drinking water sickened the whole village.

We were sickened by the reports of violence.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says 100 people have been sickened in this salmonella outbreak – the CDC's epidemiologic and traceback data show salmonella contamination may be traced back to cucumbers grown by the produce company Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico. —Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024

An unidentified illness with flu-like symptoms has killed dozens of people and sickened hundreds more in the Democratic Republic of Congo. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024

The outbreak, which was first reported Oct. 22, sickened at least 104 people in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. —Jonel Aleccia, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

The outbreak linked to cucumbers sickened 68 people, including 18 who were hospitalized, in 19 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sicken

• sicken of

Kids Definition

sicken

verb

sick·​en ˈsik-ən 

sickened; sickening -(ə-)niŋ 

: to make or become sick

Medical Definition

sicken

transitive verb

sick·​en ˈsik-ən 

: to make sick

intransitive verb

: to become sick