Word
sickening
Phoneticssick·en·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɪkənɪŋ/
UK/sˈɪkənɪŋ/
Definition
adj. making you feel very upset, shocked, or physically ill. You use this to describe something that is extremely unpleasant or morally wrong.
adj. causing a feeling of physical nausea or intense moral revulsion. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'feel' or 'be'.
Examples
“The smell of the old food was sickening.”
“It was sickening to watch the powerful company take advantage of the poor families.”
“The witness provided a sickening account of the accident, detailing the events with a level of graphic precision that left the courtroom in stunned silence.”
Examples
simple
“The smell of the old food was sickening.”
contextual
“It was sickening to watch the powerful company take advantage of the poor families.”
complex
“The witness provided a sickening account of the accident, detailing the events with a level of graphic precision that left the courtroom in stunned silence.”
Usage
Often follows linking verbs such as 'feel', 'look', or 'be'; can also modify nouns directly.
Real-World Examples
“Its director, Tracy Cadman, said it was "one of the most sickening and cowardly" incidents she had seen.” Etymology
By surface analysis, sicken + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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