sickening

1 of 2

adjective

sick·​en·​ing ˈsi-kə-niŋ 

ˈsik-niŋ

: causing sickness or disgust

a sickening odor

a sickening display

sickeningly

ˈsi-kə-niŋ-lē 

ˈsik-niŋ-

adverb

sickening

2 of 2

present participle of sicken

Synonyms of sickening

Adjective

• disgusting
• horrible
• awful
• shocking
• ugly
• hideous
• obnoxious
• obscene
• offensive
• dreadful

Examples of sickening in a Sentence

Adjective

a sickening display of selfishness

We heard the squeal of brakes and a sickening thud.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Perhaps the most sickening part of the entire encounter is that both Oleynik and Kravchenko are seen holding the turtle's hatchlings, posing for photos and smiling as if everything is cool. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

That is one of the most shocking moments of the series, apart from some of the twists and turns towards the end, and probably the most sickening. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Everyone felt the sickening harsh reality that this had happened on our sovereign soil and that it was meant to be an affront to everyone who felt pride in being an American. — Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Contacted with questions and examples of the sickening videos, Meta offered a brief statement. — Jon Christian, Futurism, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1789, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sickening

• be sickening for

Rhymes for sickening

• quickening
• thickening

Kids Definition

sickening

adjective

sick·​en·​ing

ˈsik-(ə-)niŋ

: causing sickness or disgust

a sickening sight

sickeningly adverb

Medical Definition

sickening

adjective

sick·​en·​ing ˈsik-(ə-)niŋ 

: causing sickness or nausea