sickly: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal to neutral; slightly literary in its core meaning; critical/informal in its extended, figurative use.
Quick answer
What does “sickly” mean?
Often ill.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Often ill; frequently in poor health; having a weak or pale appearance suggestive of illness.
Causing a feeling of sickness or revulsion; excessively sweet or sentimental to the point of being nauseating.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in core meaning. The verb form is largely obsolete in both varieties.
Connotations
In both, 'sickly' for a person implies a chronic, weak state, not a temporary sickness. The figurative use is equally pejorative.
Frequency
Slightly more common in British English in literary/descriptive contexts. American English might favour 'chronically ill' or 'frail' more in formal medical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “sickly” in a Sentence
[sickly + noun] e.g., a sickly child[verb + sickly] e.g., look/feel/grow sickly[sickly + adjective] e.g., sickly sweetVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sickly” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The old dog would sickly up its food sometimes. (archaic/regional)
American English
- (The verb form is virtually unused in modern AmE.)
adverb
British English
- The room was painted a sickly green. (Functionally an adjective here)
- The flowers smelled sickly sweet. (Modifies adjective)
American English
- The light shone sickly through the fog.
- The sauce was sickly sweet. (Modifies adjective)
adjective
British English
- The sickly child was excused from games.
- He was put off by the sickly sentimentality of the film.
American English
- She had a sickly complexion after the long illness.
- The perfume had a sickly sweet odor.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except perhaps metaphorically: 'a sickly market performance'.
Academic
Used in literary analysis ('sickly sentimentalism') or historical/medical descriptions ('sickly populations').
Everyday
Common for describing a person who is often unwell or something overly sweet/cloying.
Technical
In horticulture/agriculture: describing an unhealthy plant. In medicine, it's descriptive, not a formal diagnosis.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sickly”
- Using it to mean 'nauseated' (e.g., *'I feel sickly' is incorrect; use 'sick' or 'nauseous').
- Confusing it with the adverb form of 'sick' (which doesn't exist; 'sickly' as an adverb is rare/archaic).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Sickly' describes a habitual, chronic state of poor health or a weak appearance. For a temporary illness, use 'sick', 'ill', or 'unwell'.
Yes, in both its core and extended meanings. It carries connotations of weakness, undesirability, or excess. It is not a neutral medical term.
'Sickly' implies the paleness is caused by or suggests illness. 'Palely' is a neutral description of a lack of colour. You can be pale from fear, but 'sickly pale' suggests sickness.
Yes, commonly. Food or drink described as 'sickly' is excessively and unpleasantly sweet or rich, to the point of making one feel nauseous (e.g., sickly sweet custard).
Often ill.
Sickly is usually formal to neutral; slightly literary in its core meaning; critical/informal in its extended, figurative use. in register.
Sickly: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɪkli/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɪkli/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sickly as a cat (archaic/regional)”
- “a sickly grin”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'sick lily' – a flower that is pale, weak, and drooping, perfectly capturing the weak, pale essence of 'sickly'.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEALTH IS STRENGTH/VIGOUR; LACK OF HEALTH IS WEAKNESS/PALENESS. EXCESS (of sweetness/sentiment) IS NAUSEA.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'sickly' used in its figurative, pejorative sense?