in poor health; frequently ill, causing nausea or disgust due to excessive sweetness or richness

sickly green, sickly-sweet, sickly child

Formal and Informal Expressions of sickly

In different contexts, you can replace 'sickly' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'unhealthy, ailing' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'gross, icky' is a commonplace synonym.

sickly: Explore its Definition & Usage

sickly Definition

1in poor health; frequently ill
2causing nausea or disgust due to excessive sweetness or richness

Using sickly: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sickly" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The sickly child was always coughing and sneezing.
Example
The sickly sweet smell of the flowers made her nauseous.
Example
She had a sickly complexion and looked pale all the time.

sickly Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for sickly

Antonyms for sickly

Phrases with sickly

sickly green
a pale, yellowish-green color that is associated with illness or decay
Example
The walls of the abandoned house were painted a sickly green color.
sickly-sweet
excessively sweet or rich to the point of causing nausea or disgust
Example
The cake was sickly-sweet and made me feel sick after eating it.
sickly child
a child who is frequently ill or in poor health
Example
The sickly child was always missing school due to his weak immune system.

Origins of sickly

from 'sick' + '-ly'

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Summary: sickly in Brief

The term 'sickly' [ˈsɪkli] describes someone or something that is in poor health or frequently ill. It can also refer to something that is excessively sweet or rich, causing nausea or disgust. Examples include 'The sickly child was always coughing and sneezing,' and 'The sickly sweet smell of the flowers made her nauseous.' Phrases like 'sickly green' and 'sickly-sweet' further illustrate its usage.