sickening

1 of 2

adjective

sick·​en·​ing ˈsi-kə-niŋ How to pronounce sickening (audio)
ˈsik-niŋ
Synonyms of sickeningnext
: causing sickness or disgust
a sickening odor
a sickening display
sickeningly
ˈsi-kə-niŋ-lē How to pronounce sickening (audio)
ˈsik-niŋ-
adverb

sickening

2 of 2

present participle of sicken

Synonyms of sickening

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of sickening in a Sentence

Adjective a sickening display of selfishness We heard the squeal of brakes and a sickening thud.
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.
Adjective
Hersh was held hostage for 328 sickening, agonizing, and starving days until his captors executed him with five other young and luminous people in a tunnel underneath Gaza. — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 The idea of my dad’s enduring intense treatments and sickening side effects for the rest of his life was dreadful. — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Beyond the ugly-duckling implications and the patent objectification and humiliation of women, the show’s portrayal of plastic surgery itself struck me as dark and sort of sickening. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026 Perhaps the most sickening part of the entire encounter is that both Oleynik and Kravchenko are seen holding the turtle's hatchlings, posing for photos and smiling as if everything is cool. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sickening

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sickening was in 1789

Phrases Containing sickening

Rhymes for sickening

See All Rhymes for sickening

Browse Nearby Words

sickener
sickening
sickeningly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sickening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sickening. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sickening

adjective
sick·​en·​ing
ˈsik-(ə-)niŋ
: causing sickness or disgust
a sickening sight
sickeningly adverb

Medical Definition

sickening

adjective
sick·​en·​ing ˈsik-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce sickening (audio)
: causing sickness or nausea
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All