Sick
/sɪk/noun
Affected with a physical or mental illness.
Did you know?In Old English, 'sick' was linked to the idea of being afflicted, often associated with divine punishment or demonic influence in medieval beliefs.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sikaz
“To be weak or ill”
Old English
OE
sic
“Afflicted with illness; weak”
Middle English
ME
sik
“Ill, suffering from disease”
Early Modern English
EME
sick
“Experiencing illness, especially in a more general sense”
Modern English
Eng
sick
“Currently used to describe a state of physical or mental illness”