sicken

1 of 2

verb

sick·​en ˈsi-kən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
sickened; sickening ˈsi-kə-niŋ How to pronounce sicken (audio)
ˈsik-niŋ
Synonyms of sickennext

intransitive verb

1
: to become sick
2
: to become weary or satiated

transitive verb

1
: to make sick
2
: to cause revulsion in
their prejudice sickens me
sickener
ˈsi-kə-nər How to pronounce sicken (audio)
ˈsik-nər
noun

sickener

2 of 2

noun

sick·​en·​er -k(ə)nə(r) How to pronounce sickener (audio)
plural -s
: something that tends to sicken or disgust : a sickening blow : overdose

Synonyms of sicken

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Verb

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Examples of sicken in a Sentence

Verb Many people sickened and died on the long voyage. The bacteria in the drinking water sickened the whole village. We were sickened by the reports of violence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Flu season has arrived early this year, with a new variant of the virus already sickening thousands and sending many to the hospital. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Reporter covering local breaking news Federal health officials are investigating a multistate salmonella outbreak that has been linked to raw oysters and sickened 27 people across a dozen states. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026 The state’s outbreak has spread to dozens of counties, sickened over 1,200 people, and put 176 in the hospital. — Raj Panjabi, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026 Last week, ProPublica detailed the case of two girls severely sickened last year after consuming raw goat milk from an unregulated farm in southern California. — Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sicken

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sicken was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing sicken

Rhymes for sicken

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Browse Nearby Words

sick day
sicken
sickener
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Cite this Entry

“Sicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sicken. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sicken

verb
sick·​en ˈsik-ən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
sickened; sickening -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce sicken (audio)
: to make or become sick

Medical Definition

sicken

transitive verb
sick·​en ˈsik-ən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
: to make sick

intransitive verb

: to become sick
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