sickly

/ˈsɪkli/

adjective 11
verb 2
adverb 1
forms 7

adjective11

•
Frequently ill or in poor health; weakly.
- … 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. — 1759
•
Not in good health; (somewhat) sick.
- Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well, For he went sickly forth: — 1599
•
Characterized by poor or unhealthy growth. (of a plant)
- [...] the good wheat on this land had turned sickly and yellow. — 1931
•
Tending to produce nausea.
- ‘Oh, what is that glides quickly where velvet flowers grow thickly, Their scent comes rich and sickly?’—‘A scaled and hooded worm.’ — 1865
•
Overly sweet.
- […] he was again tasting the sickly welter of melted ice cream on his plate. — 1922
•
Appearing ill, infirm or unhealthy; giving the appearance of illness.
- … she exhibited a countenance so wretched, and a complection so sickly, that Cecilia was impressed with horror at the sight. — 1782
•
Shedding a relatively small amount of light; (of light) not very bright.
- The Moon grows sickly at the sight of day. — 1665
•
Lacking intensity or vigour.
- What man of soul would [...] run, Day after day, the still-returning round Of life’s mean offices, and sickly joys; But in compassion to mankind? — 1730
•
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. — 1766
•
(no longer used) Marked by the occurrence of illness or disease (of a period of time).
- This physic but prolongs thy sickly days. — 1599
•
(no longer used) Tending to produce disease or poor health.
- Has some sickly eastern waste Sent us a wind to parch us at a blast? — 1782

verb2

•
(rare) To become sickly.
- 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. — 1889
•
(literary, no longer used) To make (something) sickly.
- 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, — 1599

adverb1

•
In a sick manner; in a way that reflects or causes sickness.
- […] he sickly guess’d How lone he was once more, and sadly press’d His empty arms together […] — 1818

forms

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