Meaning & Definition of word "Sickening"

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    Sickening

    /ˈsɪkənɪŋ/

    verb:

    • 1. to cause someone to feel nauseous or disgusted.
      • Example: The thought of eating spoiled food sickened him.

    adjective:

    • 1. causing a feeling of disgust or nausea.
      • Example: The sickening smell of rotting food made her stomach churn.
    • 2. extremely unpleasant or disturbing.
      • Example: The sickening violence in the movie left her feeling unsettled.
    • 3. overwhelmingly negative or distressing.
      • Example: He received sickening news about the disaster that struck his hometown.

    Etymology

    From sick + -ening, where sick originally means 'to be affected by a physical condition'.

    Common Phrases and Expressions

    sickeningly sweet:

    Describing something overly sweet to the point of becoming unpleasant.

    sickening feeling:

    A feeling of nausea or strong discomfort.

    Related Words

    sick:

    Affected by illness; unwell.

    nausea:

    A feeling of sickness with an inclination to vomit.

    Slang Meanings of sickening

    Meaning: Overwhelmingly bad or intense

    Example Sentence: That was a sickening level of betrayal.

    Meaning: Unbelievably good (used sarcastically)

    Example Sentence: Wow, that sickening party really blew my mind.