sicken

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

Synonyms of sicken

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Examples of sicken in a Sentence

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.
Thousands of people were sickened by foodborne illnesses this summer. — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The tally of people sickened in the outbreak by the parasite cyclospora is now 11,458, the FDA said, up from about 10,900 reported last week. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 First a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis — a parasitic illness that can cause ‘explosive diarrhea’ — was linked to contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce, sickening nearly 11,000 people. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026 Salmonella linked to jalapeños sickened at least 345 people in 27 states, including North Carolina, according to the CDC. — Eva Flowe august 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sicken

Word History

First Known Use

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

See All Rhymes for sicken

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 1 Sep. 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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