1
: somewhat unwell
also
: habitually ailing
2
: produced by or associated with sickness
a sickly complexion
a sickly appetite
3
: producing or tending to produce disease : unwholesome
a sickly climate
4
a
: appearing as if sick
b
: lacking in vigor : weak
a sickly plant
5
: sickening
a sickly odor
sickliness
noun
sicklier; sickliest
: in a manner indicating, causing, or suggestive of sickness
Walking blindly, every step making him sick with pain, he … covered his face as much as he could, and struggled sickly along.—
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. LawrenceHis face turned a sickly shade of yellow.—Rick Riordan
—sometimes used figurativelyRick RiordanNick was the perfect boy for me. We were that sickly-sweet couple who never fought.—Sara Harari
Sara HarariSynonyms
Examples of sickly in a Sentence
Adjective
The walls were painted a sickly yellow.
The lamp gave off a sickly glow.
Recent Examples on the WebMarilen Martin, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024
Biden just dropped out of the race, essentially because of a catastrophic debate night that was reminiscent of former President Nixon’s loss to former President John F. Kennedy in 1960, which was blamed on Nixon’s sickly appearance on TV.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 July 2024
Jack Herrera, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2024
The supe was looking rather sickly in the Season 4 finale as a result of the medication she’s been taking to produce breast milk for Homelander, which left her coughing, weak and with heart palpitations.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 3 Aug. 2024
Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Jan. 2022
There is something unsavory, even sickly about the artist, something not entirely on the side of life.
—New York Times, 17 Sep. 2021
See all Example Sentences for sickly 
Adjective
Some of the euro zone’s most upbeat consumers can be found in one of the region’s most sickly economies — Germany.
—Marilen Martin, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024
Biden just dropped out of the race, essentially because of a catastrophic debate night that was reminiscent of former President Nixon’s loss to former President John F. Kennedy in 1960, which was blamed on Nixon’s sickly appearance on TV.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 July 2024
Adverb
In the story, a sickly beggar named Lazarus lies outside the gates of a rich man’s house; the rich man ignores him, spending his money on finery instead.
—Jack Herrera, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2024
The supe was looking rather sickly in the Season 4 finale as a result of the medication she’s been taking to produce breast milk for Homelander, which left her coughing, weak and with heart palpitations.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 3 Aug. 2024
Verb
And Jessie is stubbornly clinging to the only remedy that seems to help sickly Thomas at all: blood.
—Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Jan. 2022
There is something unsavory, even sickly about the artist, something not entirely on the side of life.
—New York Times, 17 Sep. 2021
See all Example Sentences for sickly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sickly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sickly
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sickly. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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