Meanings
comparative more sickish · superlative most sickish
- Somewhat sick, but not seriously so.
His heart was thumping harder than ever, and it was impossible to tell if the sickish, pukey feeling deep down in his belly was relief or terror.
1990, Stephen King, The Moving Finger1 more example
[W]hen an unexpected bankruptcy was announced by Cluffe or Toole in the Club-room, it made his ear ring like a slap, and he felt sickish for half an hour after.
1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “Dreams and Troubles, and a Dark Look-out”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume II, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 35Synonyms: out of sorts, poorly, unwell
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveSomewhat sick, but not seriously so.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*seukaną
- Proto-Germanic*seukaz
- Proto-West Germanic*seuk
- Old Englishsēoc
- Old Englishsēc
- Middle Englishsik
- Englishsick
- Englishsickish
Cite this entry
sickish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickish
“sickish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickish. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sickish,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickish.
Source: sickish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.