What does "sickly" mean?
To make (something) sickly.
Sickly
/ˈsɪkli/ adj, adv, verb
adj, adv, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make (something) sickly.
- Grammar: sickly is listed as adj, adv, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: achromatic, achromic, ailing, ailing.
- Useful contrasts: able-bodied, balanced, colorful.
- Usage evidence: My desire to become a doctor grew out of looking after my sickly brother.
How to use "sickly"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sickly" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sickly" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sickly" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sickly" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sickly" is acting as adj, adv, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "achromatic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sickly", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make (something) sickly. archaic, literary, transitive
"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,"
- 2 To become sickly. intransitive, rare
"1889, Samuel Cox, An Expositor’s Notebook, London: Richard D. Dickinson, 7th edition, Chapter 26, p. 364, But the seven most prominent Apostles […] still hang together, their hearts tormented with eager yet sad questionings, their hopes fast sicklying over with the pale hues of doubt."
Adjective
- 1 Frequently ill or in poor health; weakly.
"a sickly child"
- 2 Not in good health; (somewhat) sick.
"Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well, For he went sickly forth:"
- 3 Characterized by poor or unhealthy growth. (of a plant)
"[...] the good wheat on this land had turned sickly and yellow."
- 4 Appearing ill, infirm or unhealthy; giving the appearance of illness.
"a sickly pallor"
- 5 Shedding a relatively small amount of light; (of light) not very bright.
"The Moon grows sickly at the sight of day."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Lacking intensity or vigour.
"a sickly smile"
- 7 Associated with poor moral or mental well-being.
"The slightest distress, whether real or fictitious, touched him to the quick, and his soul laboured under a sickly sensibility of the miseries of others."
- 8 Tending to produce nausea.
"a sickly smell; sickly sentimentality"
- 9 Overly sweet.
"[…] he was again tasting the sickly welter of melted ice cream on his plate."
- 10 Marked by the occurrence of illness or disease (of a period of time). obsolete
"This physic but prolongs thy sickly days."
- 11 Tending to produce disease or poor health. obsolete
"a sickly autumn; a sickly climate"
Adjective
- 1 unhealthy looking wordnet
- 2 somewhat ill or prone to illness wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In a sick manner; in a way that reflects or causes sickness.
"sickly pale; to cough sickly"
Antonyms
Example
"My desire to become a doctor grew out of looking after my sickly brother."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sickly"?
Common synonyms include: achromatic, achromic, ailing, ailing, anemic, ashen.
How do you use "sickly" in a sentence?
My desire to become a doctor grew out of looking after my sickly brother.
How do you pronounce "sickly"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪkli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English seekly, sekely, siklich, sekeliche, equivalent to sick + -ly. Possibly a modification of Old English sīcle (“sickly”) and/or derived from Old Norse sjúkligr (“sickly”). Cognate with Dutch ziekelijk, Middle High German siechlich, Danish sygelig, Swedish sjuklig, Icelandic sjúklegur. The verb is from the adjective.
Etymology 2
From sick + -ly.