sicken

verb

sick·​en ˈsi-kən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
sickened; sickening ˈsi-kə-niŋ How to pronounce sicken (audio)
ˈsik-niŋ

intransitive verb

1
: to become sick
2
: to become weary or satiated

transitive verb

1
: to make sick
2
: to cause revulsion in
their prejudice sickens me
sickener
ˈsi-kə-nər How to pronounce sicken (audio)
ˈsik-nər
noun

Examples of sicken in a Sentence

Many people sickened and died on the long voyage. The bacteria in the drinking water sickened the whole village. We were sickened by the reports of violence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Human cases of bird flu in the US To date, 60% of human illnesses have resulted from contact with cattle sickened by birds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025 No new human cases were reported, despite a rising number of wild birds sickened by the virus. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2025 Ultimately, 104 were sickened across 14 states, with 34 people hospitalized and one dead. Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2025 The fast-food giant is working to get customers back after a fall E. coli outbreak linked to raw onions in Quarter Pounder hamburgers sickened at least 104 people in 14 states. Anne D’innocenzio and Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sicken 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sicken was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sicken

Cite this Entry

“Sicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sicken. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

sicken

verb
sick·​en ˈsik-ən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
sickened; sickening -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce sicken (audio)
: to make or become sick

Medical Definition

sicken

transitive verb
sick·​en ˈsik-ən How to pronounce sicken (audio)
: to make sick

intransitive verb

: to become sick

More from Merriam-Webster on sicken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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