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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 notes

In plain EnglishTo disgust someone, or to fall ill.

Common pairings
it sickens me sicken and die

Word forms

sickened past tense, sickens singular

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The reports of animal cruelty _____ the whole community.

Etymology

From Middle English sekenen, built from "sick" plus the verb-forming suffix "-en".

Origin: Middle English

revolt disgust nauseate churn up come down turn one's stomach

Related words

Rhymes for sicken

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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.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial