sickish

S1I1C3K5I1S1H4
/ˈsɪkɪʃ/

adjective

Somewhat sick, but not seriously so.

Scrabble 16

Meanings

adjectivesickish (comparative more sickish, superlative most sickish)

comparative more sickish · superlative most sickish

  1. 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 Finger
    1 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 35

    Synonyms: out of sorts, poorly, unwell

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveSomewhat sick, but not seriously so.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivefeeling nausea; feeling about to vomit

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*seukaną
  2. Proto-Germanic*seukaz
  3. Proto-West Germanic*seuk
  4. Old Englishsēoc
  5. Old Englishsēc
  6. Middle Englishsik
  7. Englishsick
  8. Englishsickish

From sick + -ish.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sickish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickish

MLA

“sickish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickish. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sickish,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sickish.

Source: sickish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.