sickly
gb/sˈɪkli/ us/sˈɪkli/
B2
English
~ 8100
beteges, gyenge egészségű, émelyítő, erőtlenül, kényszeredetten
B2
1
beteges
B2
Usage pattern:
a sickly [person/animal]
He was a sickly child who caught every cold that went around.
Beteges gyerek volt, minden náthát elkapott, ami éppen terjedt.
Her father grew too sickly to continue working on the farm.
Az apja idővel annyira betegessé vált, hogy nem tudott tovább dolgozni a gazdaságban.
The puppies looked sickly and needed urgent care.
Years of poor diet had left him pale and sickly.
She always seemed a little sickly compared with her energetic sisters.
Learner examples
He was a small, sickly boy.
Kicsi, beteges fiú volt.
My grandfather is too sickly to travel now.
A nagyapámnak már túl gyenge az egészsége ahhoz, hogy utazzon.
The dog looked sickly and very thin.
After the war he returned home weak and sickly.
She cared for her sickly mother every day.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I feel sickly"* when they mean they are ill right now. In everyday English, people usually say *"I feel sick"* for a temporary problem. *Sickly* is used more for a long-time condition, especially in phrases like *"a sickly child"*.
Meaning
often ill and physically weak
Collocations
a sickly child
|small and sickly
|frail and sickly
|sickly baby
|sickly body
|sickly and weak
Synonyms
unhealthy (more general; can describe lifestyle or food as well as people)
|
frail (emphasizes physical weakness, especially in very old or very young people)
|
delicate (softer and sometimes positive; suggests easily hurt or made ill)
Antonyms
healthy (general opposite; strong and not often ill)
|
robust (stresses strong body and good health)
Themes
health
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
often ill and weak, usually for a long time
Having poor health so that illness and physical weakness are frequent or ongoing.
B2
2
beteges
B2
Usage pattern:
a sickly [color/face/light]
A sickly green light filled the hallway.
Beteges zöld fény töltötte be a folyosót.
His face took on a sickly yellow color as the fever rose.
Ahogy nőtt a láza, az arca beteges sárga színt öltött.
The plant's leaves had turned a sickly brown at the edges.
Under the flickering bulb, everything looked strange and sickly.
She gave him a long, sickly smile that did not reach her eyes.
Learner examples
The room was a sickly green color.
A szoba beteges zöld színű volt.
His skin looked sickly and very pale.
A bőre betegesnek látszott, és nagyon sápadt volt.
A sickly yellow light came from the window.
The flowers were a sickly brown at the top.
The street was lit by a sickly orange lamp.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *sickly* instead of more common words like *pale* or *green* in neutral descriptions. *Sickly* usually adds a negative feeling, suggesting the color or look is unpleasant or unhealthy.
Meaning
unhealthy-looking in color or appearance
Collocations
sickly pale
|sickly green
|sickly yellow
|sickly light
|sickly glow
|sickly face
Synonyms
pale (focuses on light color of skin; does not always suggest illness)
|
unhealthy-looking (more explicit and less descriptive; clearly states the idea)
Antonyms
healthy-looking (direct opposite; appearance suggests good health)
|
rosy (suggests a healthy pink color, especially in cheeks)
Themes
appearance
|emotions
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
looking pale or strange in color, so it seems unhealthy
Having a pale, weak, or unpleasant appearance or color that suggests illness.
B2
3
émelyítő
B2
Usage pattern:
a sickly [smell/taste/romance]
The dessert was so sickly sweet that I couldn't finish it.
A desszert olyan émelyítően édes volt, hogy nem tudtam megenni az egészet.
A sickly smell of cheap perfume filled the room.
A szobát olcsó parfüm émelyítő szaga töltötte be.
I can't stand those sickly romantic movies where everyone is perfect.
The air had a sickly, chemical taste near the factory.
He flashed her a sickly sweet grin that felt insincere.
Learner examples
The cake was sickly sweet.
A sütemény émelyítően édes volt.
There was a sickly smell in the bathroom.
Émelyítő szag terjengett a fürdőszobában.
I do not like sickly love stories.
The drink had a sickly taste, so I stopped drinking it.
She wore a sickly sweet perfume.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think *sickly* here means only *very sweet*. In this sense it is negative: *sickly sweet* means *too sweet and unpleasant*, not just *very sweet*.
Meaning
unpleasantly sweet or disgusting
Collocations
sickly sweet
|sickly smell
|sickly taste
|sickly perfume
|sickly romantic
|sickly sentimentality
Synonyms
cloying (quite formal/literary; focuses on being too sweet or too emotional)
|
nauseating (stronger; suggests it nearly makes you want to vomit)
|
overly sweet (more informal phrase; only for taste or style, not smell)
Antonyms
pleasant (general opposite; simply nice to taste, smell, or watch)
|
subtle (opposite in intensity; not too strong or obvious)
Themes
food
|emotions
|art
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Definition
so sweet, rich, or emotional that it feels bad or makes you feel a little sick
Unpleasant because it is too sweet, rich, sentimental, or otherwise so strong that it makes you feel slightly sick or disgusted.
C1
LITERARY
4
erőtlenül
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] [smiles/laughs] sickly
He smiled sickly and looked away.
Erőtlenül elmosolyodott, majd félrenézett.
She laughed sickly at his joke, clearly not amused.
Kényszeredetten nevetett a viccén, láthatóan nem találta mulatságosnak.
The boy grinned sickly, trying to hide his fear.
I thanked him, and he nodded sickly in reply.
Learner examples
He smiled sickly when he saw me.
Erőtlenül elmosolyodott, amikor meglátott.
She laughed sickly, but her eyes were sad.
Erőtlenül nevetett, de szomorú volt a tekintete.
The man grinned sickly and said nothing.
The child waved sickly at his friends.
He answered sickly and turned his head.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write *"a sickly smiled"* instead of *"smiled sickly"*. Remember *sickly* is an adverb in this pattern, so it comes after the verb: *"He smiled sickly"*.
Meaning
in a weak or unhealthy way
Collocations
smiled sickly
|laughed sickly
|grinned sickly
Synonyms
weakly (very close in meaning; does not always suggest illness)
|
feebly (similar but a little more formal; emphasizes lack of strength)
Antonyms
brightly (opposite in emotional tone; suggests a happy, strong smile)
|
confidently (opposite in attitude; shows strength and assurance)
Themes
emotions
|literature
|health
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
in a weak or unhealthy way, often for a smile or laugh that is not real
In a way that appears weak, unhealthy, or without real strength or feeling, especially of smiles or laughter.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sickly
IPA
GB/sˈɪkli/
US/sˈɪkli/
Syllables & stress
sickly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sickly)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: sickly
- Comparative: sicklier
- Superlative: sickliest
Word family
Expressions
sickly green
1/sˈɪkli ɡɹˈin/
fixed phrase
unpleasant pale green color
a light green color that looks strange or unhealthy and is not nice to see
Examples
- The walls were painted a sickly green that made the room feel cold.
- A sickly green light flashed across the sky.
sickly smile
1/sˈɪkli smˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
weak, unhealthy, or forced smile
a smile that looks weak, not real, or as if the person feels bad or afraid
Examples
- He gave me a sickly smile and said everything was fine.
- She greeted the guests with a sickly smile that showed her nervousness.
sickly sweet
1/sˈɪkli swˈit/
fixed phrase
unpleasantly and excessively sweet
very, very sweet in a way that feels bad or unpleasant, sometimes also too romantic or emotional
Examples
- The sauce was sickly sweet and covered the taste of the meat.
- I can't stand those sickly sweet songs about perfect love.