1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
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2
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
lungs scarred by years of exposure to the sickly air of the coal mines
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Recent Examples of sickly
Anyway, the pale and sickly Antonio (Grande) is the son of Rudolph and Samberg, blessed with a heavenly singing voice.
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Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2024
The Collegeville outfit came with the mask of a scowling pirate with an open eye-patch that looked more like a black eye and a sickly green pallor that would shiver the timbers of the saltiest sea dog.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Oct. 2024
Orcs are conspicuous outliers in this regard, with actors’ skin hidden under thick layers of sickly makeup.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
The film will chronicle Amritraj’s remarkable journey from a sickly child in Chennai, India to his ascension as a tennis star and Hollywood figure.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sickly 
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2024
The Collegeville outfit came with the mask of a scowling pirate with an open eye-patch that looked more like a black eye and a sickly green pallor that would shiver the timbers of the saltiest sea dog.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Oct. 2024
Orcs are conspicuous outliers in this regard, with actors’ skin hidden under thick layers of sickly makeup.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
The film will chronicle Amritraj’s remarkable journey from a sickly child in Chennai, India to his ascension as a tennis star and Hollywood figure.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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At a time when post-menopausal women still are stereotyped as dependent and frail, Kim’s film is a refreshing reality check.Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 11 Oct. 2024
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The spirit of resistance may prove too frail, and too exhausted, to rise again to the contest.Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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This genus is primarily known for its small but brightly colored amphibian species that are highly poisonous, most notably, the bright orange pumpkin toadlets, B. rotenbergae, B. ephippium and B. pitanga (more here).GrrlScientist, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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Its most frightening aspect, though, is probably its poisonous bite.Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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But with great power, comes great responsibility and - in this case - comes greater fragility (a quantum state can be said to be brittle or fragile, mostly due to the speed at which machines at this level work) and greater potential for errors.Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Developing tourism in a fragile environment is a tricky balancing act.Chris Morris, Fortune Europe, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Secondhand marijuana smoke has many of the same carcinogens and toxic chemicals as secondhand tobacco smoke, along with THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.David Stempel, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
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In Phoenix, the industry's early history was toxic, contributing to groundwater pollution that government agencies are still addressing.Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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All but one of those patients had been exposed to sick cattle or poultry on farms.Erika Edwards, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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There is no cure for a sick heart, definitely not in Ferrante’s universe, where desire burns down to an ember that lingers, waiting to be fanned and catch fire.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024
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According to the agency’s map, very unhealthy air levels were detected in the Chino Valley and San Bernardino areas, unhealthful levels in the eastern San Gabriel Valley as well as Pomona, Perris, Corona, Riverside areas and far northern Orange County.Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Other checks on Trump’s policy will also be far weaker.Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Setting boundaries, removing yourself from unhealthy situations, or forgiving the version of you that said yes to those people or things is vital now in your process of moving on.Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2024
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My coping strategies were bad, unhealthy, self-destructive, and dangerous.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near sickly
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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