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sickish

sickish

1 6.7
Slightly ill in the stomach and likely to throw up
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɪkɪʃ/
translation icon : mareado
  • Smell of smoke in the car's interior, sweet-sickish smell of whiskey.

Examples

  • But just the thought of Riva gave her the willies, made her feel sickish and weak to see.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • It is that same embarrassment, that same sickish, bone-stiffening discomfort that Cara feels now.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The cheap pink shoes in the window put a sickish tinge on Linda's soul.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And I saw how big his penis was, big for me. I was proud of how big it was for me, and I was sleepy and sort of sickish, saying, "Gee, I don't know, maybe I should go back home?"

    Fiction book (1995)
  • He turned to the other and was startled to see a sickish old man, equally startled, staring back at him.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • This diminished the floating sensation but heightened the sickish motion of the gurney.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The room, painted sickish green, was crowded with six folding beds and fragrant with moldy towels.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • And his breath—it smelled of tobacco juice, wet, rank, sickish, rotted.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • After eating the suspicious leftovers, I felt sickish and couldn't shake the nausea.

  • She looked sickish when she woke up, likely from the flu that was going around.

Synonyms

sick
vssickish
579 1.0

Feeling like you might throw up

is less intense, meaning only a light nausea or discomfort
nauseous
vssickish
66 4.4

Feeling like you will be sick

is milder, indicating only a light nausea feeling
queasy
vssickish
30 4.1

Feeling sick and likely to throw up

is milder, focusing on slight stomach queasiness rather than strong sickness
yucky
vssickish
  • Informal
22 6.8

Not pleasant to taste or smell

describes bodily mild nausea or a slight urge to vomit instead
unwell
vssickish
18 1.0

Feeling slightly sick or uncomfortable

is focused on stomach nausea rather than overall illness
nauseated
vssickish
10 4.5

Feeling sick and likely to vomit

is milder, describing only a slight urge to vomit
cruddy
vssickish
  • Informal
1 8.2

Feeling slightly sick or not well

is specific to a mild vomiting urge rather than broad poor health
qualmish
vssickish
9.9

Feeling slightly sick or disgusted after seeing something unpleasant

centres on mild nausea only, not on disgust or general unease
liverish
vssickish
  • Archaic
9.9

Feeling a little sick and grumpy, often after eating rich food

refers specifically to mild nausea rather than indigestion or irritability

Antonyms

695 1.0

In good body and mind condition without sickness or injury

How Sick

ill
632 1.0
sick
1.0
nauseous
66 4.4
queasy
30 4.1
sickish
1 6.7
peaky
  • UK
1 5.5

Surface Forms

sickish positive

Morphology

sickish = sick (transparent) = sick + ish

The suffix '-ish' is commonly used to indicate a lesser degree or approximation, making the meaning 'somewhat sick' clear.

Etymology

Sickish comes from the simple word sick meaning 'ill' and the ending -ish meaning 'somewhat' or 'like', as in greenish. So sickish means 'a little sick', a mild, queasy feeling like you might throw up.