Phrase guide

be sick

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: be sick.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I am sick today, so can't come to work.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To vomit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • The dog's been sick all over the carpet.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • After drinking too much, the students vomited
  • He purged continuously
  • The patient regurgitated the food we gave him last night

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vomit, vomit up, purge, cast, sick, cat, disgorge, regorge, retch, puke, barf, spew, spue, chuck, upchuck, honk, regurgitate, throw up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: excrete, egest, eliminate, pass

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: xəstə olmaq — to be ill
  • Azerbaijani: naxoş olmaq — to be ill
  • Belarusian: хварэ́ць (xvarécʹ) — to be ill
  • Big Nambas: im'at — to be ill
  • Czech: churavět — to be ill
  • Finnish: sairastaa — to be ill
  • Hungarian: beteg — to be ill
  • Japanese: 病む (yamu) — to be ill
  • Korean: 앓다 (alta) — to be ill
  • Polish: chorować — to be ill
  • Polish: niedomagać — to be ill
  • Russian: боле́ть (bolétʹ) — to be ill
  • Russian: хвора́ть (xvorátʹ) — to be ill
  • Russian: недомога́ть (nedomogátʹ) — to be ill
  • Northern Sami: buohcat — to be ill
  • Udmurt: висьыны (viśyny) — to be ill
  • Ukrainian: хворі́ти (xvoríty) — to be ill
  • Ukrainian: недомага́ти (nedomaháty) — to be ill