1
as in frail
chronically or repeatedly suffering from poor health
a sickly foal that seemed to catch everything that the other horses had
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2
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
lungs scarred by years of exposure to the sickly air of the coal mines
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sickly
Sulfuric acid rains down through the sickly yellow sky but never reaches the lava-licked ground.
—
Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Ryan didn’t waver about his feelings in a follow-up after his sickly outing.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
Cinematographer James Friend creates a purgatorial realm of disorienting angles and neon lights too sickly to be beautiful, the nightmarishness further underlined by Volker Bertelman’s thundering score.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
There are some exceptions to this guideline, like when a neighbor allows a sickly tree to decline rather than taking care of the problem.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sickly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickly
Adjective
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With elderly patients, particularly those who are cognitively impaired and frail, that can be challenging.—
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However, the bacteria can cause serious, potentially fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.—
Adjective
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Anyone who may have eaten a poisonous mushroom is urged to seek medical help immediately.—
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Traces of plant toxins The chemical residues of this poisonous plant were found on 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads.—
Adjective
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The synthetic insulation can be beaten up more than fragile down, and the 15-denier fabric is water-resistant and durable for extended wear.—
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The latter provides the opportunity for a harrowing sequence in which the family is forced to cross a giant ravine on a treacherously fragile rope ladder.—
Adjective
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They’re combined with a non-toxic, hypoallergenic down alternative filling, creating a plush and luxurious sleeping experience that’s designed for back, side, and stomach sleepers.—
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Many hominids went extinct during this period, and being able to consume alcohol without adverse and/or toxic effects would have conferred a survival advantage.—
Adjective
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This leaves a sicker risk pool behind and drives premiums even higher for those who remain.—
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Humans who have prolonged close contact with sick or dead birds infected with HPAI are the most at risk of becoming infected.—
Adjective
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The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
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Health professionals encourage people to use lean cuts of meat because most of the fat in animal products is unhealthful saturated fat, which can raise the risk of heart disease and cancer.—
Adjective
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New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.—
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Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).—
Adjective
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The single mom's unhealthy path had started years before.—
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Binge eating or an unhealthy relationship with food could develop.—
Cite this Entry
“Sickly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sickly. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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