adj
Uncommon
sickening
SIHK-nihng
Sickening (adj) means causing disgust, nausea, or revulsion. Example: “There was a sickening crunch as the car hit the barrier.”
adj
1
Causing disgust, nausea, or revulsion.
"There was a sickening crunch as the car hit the barrier."
"The smell from the drains was truly sickening."
2
Informal: extremely impressive, in a way that provokes envy.
"She has a sickening amount of natural talent."
How to use sickening
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo disgusting (or, informally, so impressively good) that it turns your stomach.
Common pairings
a sickening thud
sickening violence
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Word forms
- Plural
- sickenings
- Comparative
- more sickening
- Superlative
- most sickening
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
There was a _____ crunch as the car hit the barrier.
Etymology
Formed from "sicken" plus the "-ing" ending.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for sickening
evening
opening
widening
awakening
happening
weakening
deafening
maddening
listening
gardening
fattening
screening
See all rhymes for sickening →
Frequently asked questions
What does “sickening” mean?
The word “sickening” means causing disgust, nausea, or revulsion. In plain terms, so disgusting (or, informally, so impressively good) that it turns your stomach.
How do you pronounce “sickening”?
“Sickening” is pronounced SIHK-nihng (/ˈsɪk(ə)nɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “sickening” in a sentence?
Here is “sickening” used in a sentence: “There was a sickening crunch as the car hit the barrier.”
What part of speech is “sickening”?
“Sickening” is an adjective.
Is “sickening” a common word?
“Sickening” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “sickening” have?
“Sickening” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: causing disgust, nausea, or revulsion.
