1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
lungs scarred by years of exposure to the sickly air of the coal mines
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sickly
To see the sun so diminished, so pale and sickly in the midwinter sky, was unnerving.
—
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2025
The first one is the tiny avian corpse of Joey, the sickly baby crow Sunny adopted against Suzie’s wishes and tried to nurse back to health in episode five.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
Chapman had a sickly husband and took in foster girls to help pay the bills.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
The massive four-story brownstone is the sickly shade of green mold, except in the places the façade has chipped off completely.
—Bridget Read, Curbed, 15 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2025
The first one is the tiny avian corpse of Joey, the sickly baby crow Sunny adopted against Suzie’s wishes and tried to nurse back to health in episode five.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
Chapman had a sickly husband and took in foster girls to help pay the bills.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
The massive four-story brownstone is the sickly shade of green mold, except in the places the façade has chipped off completely.
—Bridget Read, Curbed, 15 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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He was wheeled into the courtroom Friday, visibly frail and hunched over.—
Essence News Editors,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
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The three male hostages released last Saturday appeared gaunt and frail, and Israelis reacted with anger and horror at their appearance.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Shauna, Van, and Akilah break free from the rest of the group and end up in a tunnel permeated by some sort of poisonous gas.—
Esther Zuckerman,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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But perhaps more alarmingly, Seneca Meadows is currently sending poisonous, PFAS-laden runoff into the Hudson and your drinking water supply.—
Yvonne Taylor,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Menzel — who also provided additional contributions to the piece — effortlessly balances the different sides of her character, building something that feels deeply tangible yet fragile and completely unique.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
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However, these works — all written by men — portrayed Veronika as a fragile, submissive woman, passively awaiting her fate.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Comments were largely supportive of the OP’s decision and rationale, with many noting that no one should feel guilty for protecting themselves from toxic people and behavior.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
22 Feb. 2025
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Space debris can pose risks to people on the ground who come into contact with the object, particularly if toxic fuels are involved.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Gazans cheer, blast music as Hamas conducts sick parade of hostages Hamas paraded Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert in front of a cheering crowd Saturday, before releasing them after more than 500 days in captivity.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
22 Feb. 2025
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One family has a sick child who could be heard crying in the background during a call between Herischi and Panamanian officials.—
Yong Xiong, Michael Rios, CNN and Ivonne Valdés,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The unhealthful effects of autocracy remain robust even when accounting for economic differences and when excluding Venezuela and its collapsing health-care system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
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However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Twilio — Shares of the cloud communications company plunged 15% on the heels of its weak earnings guidance.—
Hakyung Kim,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
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The Trade Desk missed fourth-quarter revenue estimates and issued weak guidance.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In this way, the Garrett situation could already be construed as an unhealthy one for the Browns in the court of veteran quarterback opinion.—
Zac Jackson,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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Another aspect of emotional eating is the process of specific cravings, usually including unhealthy, energy-dense foods.—
Allison Futterman,
Discover Magazine,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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