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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of sickly
Once infected, the plant will become sickly and die within 3-5 years.
—
Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 8 Aug. 2025
Mischa Barton, then a child actor, played the sickly Kyra Collins, and later starred in other popular suspense and horror flicks.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
There are so many stereotypes and stigmas about what a cancer patient looks like—bald, weak, sickly.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
The lunchtime sun was bright, tinting everything in a sickly golden tone.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Laura Simpson, Oc Register, 8 Aug. 2025
Mischa Barton, then a child actor, played the sickly Kyra Collins, and later starred in other popular suspense and horror flicks.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
There are so many stereotypes and stigmas about what a cancer patient looks like—bald, weak, sickly.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
The lunchtime sun was bright, tinting everything in a sickly golden tone.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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In the nineteenth century, for instance, libraries offered some women the freedom to explore, learn, and work, challenging social norms that styled (some) women as too frail to earn a living outside the home.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Aug. 2025
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Severe infections are particularly dangerous for young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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They are known to be foraging predators with tentacles that hold highly poisonous stinging cells, used for both hunting and self-defense, explains the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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This is provided by vast data centers that burn through energy at rates comparable to small nations, creating poisonous emissions and noise pollution.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These species play a crucial role in maintaining balance within the fragile ecosystem.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
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At the same time, Jota’s death has brought certain things into sharp context, about how fragile life — and within that, something like a football career — can be.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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To build psychological safety, Murali says leaders must actively challenge toxic patterns such as bias, bullying and poor management.—
Sally Percy,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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An internal investigation by the company — just a single page buried in thousands of pages of state records — shows at least one toxic chemical spill has already occurred in the plant.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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About 1 out of every 10 people who get sick with Legionnaires' disease may die because of complications from the illness.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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In Texas’s outbreak, which began in January in a largely unvaccinated population in Gaines County in West Texas, at least 762 people became sick, including the two children who died.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
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The unhealthful effects of autocracy remain robust even when accounting for economic differences and when excluding Venezuela and its collapsing health-care system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
Adjective
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And if tariffs only cause a one-time jump in prices, weaker purchasing power could slow the economy.—
Raul Elizalde,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Despite these efforts, economic conditions and weak demand for domestic leisure travel pose challenges.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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When air is stagnant, pollutants don't get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
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As of noon Saturday, air quality maps showed unhealthy levels in the areas surrounding the fire but better dispersion than Friday in neighboring communities like Calistoga and Pope Valley.—
Santa Rosa Press Democrat,
Mercury News,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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