1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sickly
Stebbings himself tries to spend as much time as possible with his sickly mother, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), including walking a marathon with her every Sunday.
—
Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 8 July 2025
This usually occurs when a dead limb or a sickly tree falls.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
Beneath several sickly banana trees sat a man in tired corduroy pants and worn blue Skechers.
—Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
As a sickly boy raised by two women, young Darin was smothered with affection.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 8 July 2025
This usually occurs when a dead limb or a sickly tree falls.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
Beneath several sickly banana trees sat a man in tired corduroy pants and worn blue Skechers.
—Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
As a sickly boy raised by two women, young Darin was smothered with affection.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
-
Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause severe and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail and elderly people, as well as those with a weakened immune system.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
-
Severe infections are particularly dangerous for young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Gastroenteritis is a good reason to refrain from consuming cocaine, various heavy metals or poisonous mushrooms.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Then his heart beat its last, and the poisonous moth embraced him.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
During the chandelier's cleaning process, the office said workers wear gloves to minimize human contact and ensure its integrity is not jeopardized because it is made up of soft and fragile materials.—
Keelin Fisher,
Arkansas Online,
21 July 2025
-
Real grasscloth wallpaper, made from natural fibers like jute or seagrass, is extremely fragile and sensitive to moisture, paste, and pressure.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Evidence, while not conclusive, suggested the babies died from breathing in toxic black mold contaminating their homes due to water leaks.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
28 July 2025
-
But too much of one specific type of algae can be toxic, causing a harmful algal bloom, also sometimes known as a red tide.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
Not every mosquito carries West Nile virus, and not everyone who contracts the virus will get sick.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
28 July 2025
-
Cena took the opportunity to chug water to avoid getting sick.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Witness the rally in the railroads last week that crushed shorts banking on weaker transport earnings.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
-
This weak cash generation capability raises questions about the company’s ability to fund growth investments and return capital to shareholders.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Warm, sunny weather optimizes the conditions for this sort of reaction, meaning unhealthy ozone levels are often seen in the summer.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
The air quality alert, which is classified as a code orange, meaning ozone levels could become unhealthy for sensitive groups like children, seniors and those with pre-existing conditions, is in place for most of the day on July 23.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share