SICKENING Synonyms: 163 Similar and Opposite Words

sickening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsi-kə-niŋ

Definition of sickening

as in disgusting

causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment a sickening display of emotion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sickening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sicken

as in appalling

to cause to feel disgust sickened by the awful sight of the polluted river

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sickening

Adjective

Perhaps the most sickening part of the entire encounter is that both Oleynik and Kravchenko are seen holding the turtle's hatchlings, posing for photos and smiling as if everything is cool. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 That is one of the most shocking moments of the series, apart from some of the twists and turns towards the end, and probably the most sickening. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Verb

But a few weeks into his vacation across the Atlantic Ocean, the Oregon doctor jumped into action caring for passengers after a deadly hantavirus outbreak began spreading through the ship, sickening the vessel’s doctor. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026 Sugar water can spoil, sickening the little birds. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sickening

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sickening

Adjective

That’s likely to inspire either affection or immediate exhaustion, depending on your fondness for the infamously disgusting performance group.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
People tend to think of waste as trash, sewage, slag, manure and other seemingly useless or disgusting substances.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of disgusting

Verb

The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers.

— Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one.

— Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026

Definition of appalling

Adjective

There’s a big data center that just came to my community not long ago and their community engagement was horrible, absolutely horrible.

— Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.

— Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

Jake Bauers has been awful for most of his career, but graduated in 2018 as a top-50 prospect.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Trailing 12-0 after its awful start, BC scored the next 14 points, jumping in front on McKenzie’s 11-yard score to Javarius Green.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of awful

Verb

On Christmas Day, Neon will weigh in with the best of the three, Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial, a humorous and ultimately horrifying account of 20 years of AI evolution and a scorching portrait of OpenAI founder Sam Altman.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
The crime scene was gruesome, horrifying those who were summoned to the Second Street home in the wake of the attacks.

— Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of horrifying

Adjective

The series is notorious for its shocking plot twists (many of which bring dramatic, fatal ends to important characters).

— Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2026
Bajaria is said to have attended the town hall that Head of Scripted, UCAN Jinny Howe held Wednesday afternoon amid the layoffs, making her exit today feel abrupt and shocking to staffers.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shocking

Adjective

My right pants leg was gone and among the smaller cuts an ugly gash puckered at me from the calf.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
The first attempts at a foldable smartphone in the 2010s from other companies tended to be fragile and not all that useful, with a big, ugly crease in the center interrupting the experience.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026