sickly

(sik)

adjective sicklier, sickliest

  1. in poor health; chronically sick or prone to sickness; not strong or robust
  2. of or produced by sickness: a sickly pallor
  3. characterized by the prevalence of disease or sickness; unhealthful
  4. sickening; nauseating: a sickly odor
  5. faint; feeble: a sickly light
  6. weak; mawkish: a sickly smile

Origin: ME sekly

adverb sicklier, sickliest

in a sick manner
also sicklily

transitive verb sicklied, sicklying

to make sickly, as in color

Related Forms:

See sickly in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective sick·li·er, sick·li·est
  1. Prone to sickness.
  2. Of, caused by, or associated with sickness: a sickly pallor.
  3. Conducive to sickness: a sickly climate.
  4. Causing nausea; nauseating.
  5. Lacking vigor or strength; feeble or weak: a sickly handshake.
transitive verb sick·lied, sick·ly·ing, sick·lies
To make sickly: “Timidity . . . sicklies the whole cast of thought in action” (Henry Adams).

Related Forms:

  • sickˈli·ness noun
  • sickˈly, sickˈli·ly adverb

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