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
His advocates contend Roberson’s sickly toddler, Nikki Curtis, died of double pneumonia that had progressed to sepsis, her illness further exacerbated by a combination of medicines now seen as unsuitable for children.
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Dakin Andone, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
Seeing their sickly child’s newfound obsession awaken within him a vigor and excitement for learning, Roosevelt’s parents encouraged his passion for natural history.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Oct. 2024
Anyway, the pale and sickly Antonio (Grande) is the son of Rudolph and Samberg, blessed with a heavenly singing voice.
—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
See all Example Sentences for sickly 
Dakin Andone, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
Seeing their sickly child’s newfound obsession awaken within him a vigor and excitement for learning, Roosevelt’s parents encouraged his passion for natural history.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Oct. 2024
Anyway, the pale and sickly Antonio (Grande) is the son of Rudolph and Samberg, blessed with a heavenly singing voice.
—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
See all Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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Costars from her final film Something Wicked recall a frail star who was a shell of herself in those months prior to her untimely death 15 years ago.Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
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Her body, now frail and brittle, is also contorted and rearranged.Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The bill also had money to make solvent the World Trade Center Health Program to treat the heroes and victims of 9/11 who were sickened by the poisonous air rising up from Ground Zero.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
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In the wake of a global catastrophe where a poisonous cloud is killing everything alive, a group of family and friends gather for one last night of revelry.Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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After 50 years of brutal military dictatorship, the country underwent a dramatic if fragile democratic opening during the 2010s.Derek Mitchell, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
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Yet the uptick in travel to the ends of Earth has a detrimental impact on the environment, further exacerbating the impact of the climate crisis on fragile ecosystems.Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Russia has denied using any chemical weapons in Ukraine and, in turn, has accused Kyiv of using toxic agents in combat. Kirillov, who took his current job in 2017, was one of the most high-profile figures to level those accusations.Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette stafffrom wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 18 Dec. 2024
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One thoughtful response might turn a toxic detractor into a powerful promoter.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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By Weiland’s estimates, up to 300,000 people in the U.S. are currently getting sick with COVID-19 each day, compared to around 1 million cases per day around this time in recent years.Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
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But then Carey got sick with the flu, and was forced to cancel the first show of her 2024 Christmas Time tour.Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 18 Dec. 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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Area roads could become dangerously slick Monday morning as a weak system is expected to bring freezing rain overnight, according to the National Weather Service.Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
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Houston will be a weaker team in 2025, but one Brown still believes can capture an American League West championship.Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The obsessive mindset is unhealthy, as a drive for perfectionism can cause emotional exhaustion and even an identity crisis when things do not go as planned.Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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Consumers are right about that: The American food environment is unhealthy and disease-promoting, and the food industry bears much of the blame.Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near sickly
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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