Meaning & Definition of word "Sickening"

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.