ENGLISH
REFERENCE

out sick

idiom
Meaning

Absent from work due to an illness.


Examples
SIMPLE

My coworker is out sick today.

CONTEXTUAL

Since our manager is out sick, we have to reschedule the weekly team meeting.

COMPLEX

The department head remained out sick for the remainder of the week, leaving the junior staff to manage the urgent project deadlines alone.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    sick and tired

    Bored to the point of weariness.

  2. 02

    sick as a parrot

    Very disappointed; miserable.

  3. 03

    sick at heart

    Despairing, distressed, or anxious.

  4. 04

    sick list

    A list of people who are ill.

  5. 05

    sick man

    A weak member of a peer group, especially the weakest.

  6. 06

    sick puppy

    A person who is sick (mentally disturbed) in a morbid or gruesome way.

  7. 07

    sick to the back teeth

    Extremely annoyed, fed up, tired (of or with something).

  8. 08

    sick with worry

    Extremely anxious or distressed.

© 2026 English Reference