Meaning

Frequently ill or in poor health; weakly..

Definitions by Sense

1. Frequently ill or in poor health; weakly.
2. Not in good health; (somewhat) sick.
3. Characterized by poor or unhealthy growth. (of a plant)
4. Appearing ill, infirm or unhealthy; giving the appearance of illness.
5. Shedding a relatively small amount of light; (of light) not very bright.
6. Lacking intensity or vigour.
7. Associated with poor moral or mental well-being.
8. Tending to produce nausea.

Example Sentences

a sickly child

1759, Tobias Smollett, letter dated 16 March, 1759, in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 1, p. 190, … the boy is a sickly lad, of a delicate frame, and particularly subject to a malady in his throat, which renders him very unfit for his Majesty’s service.

She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution, which has prevented her making that progress in many accomplishments which she could not otherwise have failed of;

[...] the sharp-scented bottle of crystals that sickly Cousin Bertha had carried to ward off fainting spells.

1782, Samuel Johnson, letter dated 20 March, 1782, in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 2, p. 419, The season was dreary, I was sickly, and found the friends sickly whom I went to see.

1850, Charlotte Brontë, letter dated 29 April, 1850, in Elizabeth Gaskell, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, London: Smith, Elder, 1857, Chapter 6, p. 157, Papa continues far from well; he is often very sickly in the morning,

Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well, For he went sickly forth:

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [i.e. have died].

Word Forms

• sicklier
• sickliest
• sicklies
• sicklying
• sicklied
• more sickly
• most sickly

Synonyms for sickly

Related Words

When Should You Use Sickly?

Use sickly when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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