sickly
sickly Lexical Profile
sickly Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Often ill; in poor health; having a weak or delicate constitution.
"The sickly infant required constant medical attention during his first year of life."
Indicative of or associated with poor health; pale, wan, or unwholesome in appearance or color.
"The fluorescent lights cast a sickly greenish glow over the hospital corridor."
Causing nausea or revulsion; excessively sweet, sentimental, or maudlin.
"A sickly odor of rotting vegetation drifted from the stagnant marsh."
• adverb
In a sick, weak, pale, or unwholesome manner (especially when modifying another adjective).
"The cake was covered in a layer of sickly sweet frosting."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-ly', 'sickly' is primarily used as an adjective (e.g., 'a sickly child', 'a sickly pale color'). While 'sick' typically refers to a temporary state of illness, 'sickly' implies a chronic predisposition to poor health or an unwholesome appearance.
• Rhymes for sickly
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English from the Old English root 'sēoc' (meaning ill or feeble) combined with the adjectival suffix '-ly' (from Old English '-līc', meaning 'having the appearance or nature of').