sickly
sickly — adjective
- sicklypositive
- sickliercomparative
- sickliestsuperlative
1. A sickly person, animal, or plant is weak, does not enjoy good health, and catch
A sickly person, animal, or plant is weak, does not enjoy good health, and catches illnesses more easily than others.
The sickly puppy needed special food from the vet to grow strong.
Marta had been a sickly child, but after years of exercise outdoors she became much healthier.
sickly child — describes chronic tendency, not a single illness
The old tree in the park looked sickly, with thin branches and barely any leaves.
Reema cared for her sickly grandmother, bringing her soup and medicine every evening.
Sickly plants need more sunlight and less water if they are to recover their strength.
文法句型
be sickly
look sickly
用法筆記
Describes a long-term tendency rather than a temporary illness. Use 'sick' or 'ill' for a short-term condition.
常見錯誤
2. When a smell or taste is sickly, it causes a mild feeling of nausea — for exampl
When a smell or taste is sickly, it causes a mild feeling of nausea — for example, because the odour is overly sweet, stale, or strong enough to make you uncomfortable.
A sickly sweet smell of rotting fruit filled the hot kitchen, making Tariq feel unwell.
sickly sweet — common collocation for overly sweet smells or tastes
The cheap perfume had a sickly, cloying scent that gave Iris a headache.
After the party, the stale beer and cigarette smoke created a sickly atmosphere in the room.
The sauce was so sickly that Minho ate only two spoonfuls before pushing the plate away.
A sickly odour of boiled cabbage drifted from the cafeteria into the hallway.
- nauseating
Stronger than sickly; makes you actively want to vomit
- cloying
Specifically for sweetness that becomes unpleasant after a short time
- sickening
Can be physical or moral disgust, broader than sickly
- fresh
Clean, pleasant, and invigorating
- refreshing
Restoring energy rather than causing nausea
文法句型
be sickly sweet
sickly smell/taste
用法筆記
Commonly used with smell, taste, or sweetness words: sickly smell / sickly sweet / sickly odour. The feeling is mild nausea rather than strong vomiting.
常見錯誤
3. Emotions, writing, or behaviour described as sickly are too sentimental or emoti
Emotions, writing, or behaviour described as sickly are too sentimental or emotional in a way that feels unpleasant, embarrassing, or insincere.
Mira found the film's sickly love scenes embarrassing and looked away from the screen.
The card was filled with sickly poetry about eternal love that felt completely insincere.
Critics called the novel's ending sickly, saying it forced emotions the story had not earned.
Feng hated the sickly decorations in the gift shop, with pink ribbons and fake hearts everywhere.
The funeral speaker's sickly praise made several relatives roll their eyes and whisper.
- mawkish
More formal; describes people who show emotion in a way that seems weak or fake
- cloying
Overly sweet in a way that becomes unpleasant
- sentimental
Less negative than sickly; can be neutral or even affectionate
- restrained
Showing emotion in a controlled, appropriate way
- understated
Expressed simply without exaggerated emotion
文法句型
sickly sentimentality
sickly praise
用法筆記
Always negative. Describes films, books, music, speech, or decorations that try too hard to be touching and end up feeling false or embarrassing.
sickly — adverb
1. Done in a manner that shows poor health or suggests illness, often by looking pa
Done in a manner that shows poor health or suggests illness, often by looking pale, weak, or uncomfortable.
Putri smiled sickly and told everyone she felt fine, though her face was very pale.
smiled sickly — adverb modifying an action verb
The patient lay sickly in the hospital bed, unable to lift his head from the pillow.
Adisa coughed sickly and reached for the glass of water on the bedside table.
A single lamp glowed sickly in the corner, casting weak shadows across the dusty room.
- healthily
In a strong, vigorous way
文法句型
smiled sickly
lay sickly
sickly — verb
- sicklypresent simple I / you / we / they
- sicklies3rd person singular
- sicklying-ing form
- sickliedpast simple
1. To make a person, animal, or plant become sick or weak, usually by exposing them
To make a person, animal, or plant become sick or weak, usually by exposing them to something harmful over a period of time.
Living near the polluted river sicklied the whole village over several generations.
rare verb — past tense 'sicklied'
Even a healthy person can be sicklied by eating too much rich food every single day.
The damp walls of the basement sicklied the stored vegetables within a few weeks.
The constant noise and lack of sleep sicklied the refugees who lived near the railway line.
Cheap cleaning products sicklied the office staff, leaving them with headaches every afternoon.
- strengthen
To make stronger or healthier
- heal
To restore to health
文法句型
sickly + object
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English. In everyday speech, 'make sick' or 'weaken' is preferred. Mostly found in older or literary texts.