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Glite Dictionary
sick-abed

sick-abed

9.9
Lying in bed because you are ill
  • adjective
  • /sɪk əˈbɛd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : postrado en la cama
  • He was sick-abed for a week after catching the flu.

Examples

  • She was sick-abed for two weeks with the flu.

  • The doctor visited his sick-abed patients each morning.

  • She wrote letters to her sick-abed father from college.

  • After the surgery, he felt sick-abed and couldn't move.

  • After coming down with a high fever, she was sick-abed for several days.

  • He was sick-abed and unable to attend the important meeting.

  • During the winter, many children are sick-abed with colds and flu.

Synonyms

bedridden
vssick-abed
11 4.5

Unable to leave bed because of illness or injury

is the same confinement due to illness
laid up
vssick-abed
10 5.6

Not able to work because you are sick or injured and must stay in bed

refers only to confinement due to illness not to injury or work inability
bedfast
vssick-abed
  • Specialized
9.9

Unable to get out of bed because of illness or weakness

is the same confinement due to illness
bedrid
vssick-abed
  • Archaic
9.9

Unable to get out of bed because of illness

indicates similar confinement but not necessarily long term

Antonyms

well
142 1.0

In good health after being ill or hurt

How Confined

sick-abed
  • Archaic
9.9
on the mend
10 3.8

Surface Forms

sick-abed positive

Morphology

sick-abed = sick + abed (semi-transparent) = sick + abed

The meaning is literally 'sick' + 'abed' (ill in bed), but 'abed' is archaic or uncommon and the hyphenated form may be unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Sick-abed comes from joining sick and abed, where abed means 'in bed'. So, it literally says someone is 'in bed' because they are 'sick', which is why sick-abed means confined to bed with illness.