sick

adjective (ILL)

/sɪk/

Definition

A2 physically or mentally ill; not well or healthy: a sick child a sick cow My father has been off sick (= not working because of illness) for a long time. Anyone who could hurt a child like that must be sick (= mentally ill). The old woman fell/took/was taken sick (= became ill) while she was away and had to come home. Sarah called in/reported sick (= told her employer that she was unable to go to work because of illness).figurative High rates of crime are considered by some people to be a sign of a sick society. → See also heartsick, homesick, lovesickNot fit and healthyThin or slender (of people)

(Definition of sick adjective (ILL) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)