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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Recent Examples of sickly
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
Lambrusco became synonymous with that sickly tipple—which bore no resemblance to the refreshingly dry and crisp Lambrusco guzzled by Italians.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2025
In This Article How To Identify Spider Mites Understanding Spider Mites
How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites
If your once-vigorous plant is starting to look sickly, spider mites may be the culprits.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
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
Lambrusco became synonymous with that sickly tipple—which bore no resemblance to the refreshingly dry and crisp Lambrusco guzzled by Italians.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2025
In This Article How To Identify Spider Mites Understanding Spider Mites
How To Get Rid Of Spider Mites
If your once-vigorous plant is starting to look sickly, spider mites may be the culprits.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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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
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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
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Almost every state has a variety of snake species, both poisonous and nonvenomous.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Knowing that he's developed a bond with Dr. Ochoa, Tessa stages a scene in which John Perry (Ian McQuown), a member of the network, attempts to kill Dr. Ochoa via one of Voit's favorite methods: a poisonous Sicarius spider dropped into her mouth.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Besides the Gitmo prosecution, which will now resume — assuming the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t side with KSM — also continuing is the agony for people whose health was damaged by the toxic cloud that rose over New York when the World Trade Center fell.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
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This felt therapeutic, an antidote to the toxic diet of overly personal information that we are fed daily by our phones.—
Guy Trebay,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Kids get hurt and get sick, like anyone else; every year, a few in the practice battle life-threatening illness, often cancer.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Mission Viejo raced to the title while playing without wide receiver Vance Spafford (sick), cornerback Jeron Jones (fractured wrist), safeties Sawyer Thomson (knee) and Zachary Foeldi (knee) and wide receiver Max Markofski (hip).—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
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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
Adjective
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Witness the rally in the railroads last week that crushed shorts banking on weaker transport earnings.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
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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
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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
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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 29 Jul. 2025.
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