as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a sickening display of emotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in appalling
to cause to feel disgust
sickened by the awful sight of the polluted river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sickening
Liza Finley, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
The unedited, close-up footage is too sickening for television and newspapers to show.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
Liz Szabo, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
The illness spreads through the tribe, sickening one of its leaders and creating division and disorder.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickening
Adjective
Earlier that day, a cousin and her friend had been out searching about half a mile from Makayla's house when they were stopped in their tracks by a strong, sickening odor.
—Verb
Flu season was particularly brutal last year, sickening at least 47 million Americans, hospitalizing 610,000 and killing 27,000, according to the CDC.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickening
Adjective
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The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
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Having snow, slush, and (eventually) water all over my floors was a disgusting feeling.—
Verb
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Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one.—
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Truly appalling friend counsel here from Mindy.—
Adjective
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Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
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Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Verb
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While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.—
Adjective
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The Hoosiers, of course, are the prime example of a longtime awful football program rising to the top.—
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Mamdani hasn’t had time yet to flesh out his awful, socialist ideas into real policies that adversely affect New Yorkers.—
Verb
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The visage, created by Universal Studio’s then-lead makeup artist Jack Pierce for the 1931 film, was horrifying enough that its influence endured for almost 100 years.—
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No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.—
Adjective
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The shocking decision sends ripples through the Washington program and the college football transfer portal.—
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There are some great twists and turns leading to a shocking but very satisfying ending.—
Adjective
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Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior.—
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Sure, coach Mike Tomlin's teams tend to win ugly games, but not in the playoffs — at least not lately.—
Cite this Entry
“Sickening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickening. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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