(~er, ~est)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you are ~, you are ill. Sick usually means physically ill, but it can sometimes be used to mean mentally ill.
He’s very ~. He needs medication...
She found herself with two small children, a ~ husband, and no money...
ADJ
•
The ~ are people who are ~.
There were no doctors to treat the ~.
N-PLURAL: the N
2.
If you are ~, the food that you have eaten comes up from your stomach and out of your mouth. If you feel ~, you feel as if you are going to be ~.
She got up and was ~ in the handbasin...
The very thought of food made him feel ~...
ADJ: v-link ADJ
3.
Sick is vomit. (BRIT INFORMAL)
N-UNCOUNT
4.
If you say that you are ~ of something or ~ and tired of it, you are emphasizing that you are very annoyed by it and want it to stop. (INFORMAL)
I am ~ and tired of hearing all these people moaning...
= fed up
ADJ: v-link ADJ of n/-ing emphasis
5.
If you describe something such as a joke or story as ~, you mean that it deals with death or suffering in an unpleasantly humorous way.
...a ~ joke about a cat...
ADJ disapproval
6.
If you say that something or someone makes you ~, you mean that they make you feel angry or disgusted. (INFORMAL)
It makes me ~ that people commit offences and never get punished...
PHRASE: V inflects, oft it PHR that
7.
If you are off ~, you are not at work because you are ill.
When we are off ~, we only receive half pay.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR
8.
If you say that you are worried ~, you are emphasizing that you are extremely worried. (INFORMAL)
He was worried ~ about what our mothers would say.
PHRASE: v-link PHR emphasis