# sickening

/ˈsɪkənɪŋ/ (US) · /sˈɪkənɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sickening
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

making you feel very upset, shocked, or physically ill. You use this to describe something that is extremely unpleasant or morally wrong.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Often follows linking verbs such as 'feel', 'look', or 'be'; can also modify nouns directly.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.