verb
sicken
SIH-kuhn
Sicken (verb) means to make someone feel disgusted or appalled. Example: “The reports of animal cruelty sickened the whole community.”
verb
1
To make someone feel disgusted or appalled.
"The reports of animal cruelty sickened the whole community."
"It sickens me to see food wasted while people go hungry."
2
To become ill.
"Several of the crew began to sicken shortly after leaving port."
How to use sicken
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo disgust someone, or to fall ill.
Common pairings
it sickens me
sicken and die
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- sickens
- Past tense
- sickened
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The reports of animal cruelty _____ the whole community.
Etymology
From Middle English sekenen, built from "sick" plus the verb-forming suffix "-en".
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for sicken
See all rhymes for sicken →Frequently asked questions
What does “sicken” mean?
The word “sicken” means to make someone feel disgusted or appalled. In plain terms, to disgust someone, or to fall ill.
How do you pronounce “sicken”?
“Sicken” is pronounced SIH-kuhn (/ˈsɪkən/ in IPA).
How do you use “sicken” in a sentence?
Here is “sicken” used in a sentence: “The reports of animal cruelty sickened the whole community.”
What part of speech is “sicken”?
“Sicken” is a verb.
Where does the word “sicken” come from?
The word “sicken” comes from Middle English. From Middle English sekenen, built from "sick" plus the verb-forming suffix "-en".
How many meanings does “sicken” have?
“Sicken” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make someone feel disgusted or appalled.
