sick

/sɪk/
adjectiveBeginner unwell or ill
general

affected by illness or disease

He was too sick to go to work.

He was too ill to go to work.

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Commonly used to describe physical illness.

informal

feeling nauseous or about to vomit

The smell of the food made me feel sick.

The smell of the food made me feel nauseous.

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Often used in informal contexts.

slang

extremely good or impressive

That concert was sick!

That concert was amazing!

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Slang usage, especially among younger generations.

Collocations

sick oftired of or annoyed bysick daya day off work due to illnesssick leavepaid time off for illness

Related Phrases

sick and tiredphrase
very annoyed or frustrated
sick jokephrase
a joke that is offensive or in bad taste

💡Pro Tip

Context Matters

The meaning of 'sick' can vary greatly depending on the context. Pay attention to the surrounding words to understand the intended meaning.

Gold Rule

Formal vs. Informal

In formal contexts, use 'ill' or 'unwell' instead of 'sick' when referring to physical illness.

📖Word Origin

Old English 'sēoc,' meaning 'ill, diseased,' from Proto-Germanic 'seukaz.'

📝Usage Notes

The word 'sick' can have different meanings depending on the context. It is most commonly used to describe physical illness but can also mean feeling nauseous or, in slang, something that is impressive.

Word Breakdown

sick
unwell or ill
root
English Dictionary