Dictionary

sickliness en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English sickly Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English sickliness From sickly + -ness.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The state or characteristic of weakness, incapacity, or physical distress due to poor health, especially of a chronic nature.
   • Gradually it gave place to a smile; a feeble, helpless, melancholy smile; bland, almost to sickliness. 1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, chapter 9, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC:
   • I do beseech your majesty, impute his words To wayward sickliness and age in him. 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act 2, scene 1]:
   • My devotions were disturbed with a feeling of languor and sickliness, and the tormenting fear of its becoming worse: and a depressing headache was generally my companion throughout the day. 1847 December, Acton Bell [pseudonym; Anne Brontë], chapter 7, in Agnes Grey. […], London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:

Forms

Relateds

sickness · sick

Synonyms

unwellness

Translations (2)

ga meath-thinneas (the state or characteristic of weakness, incapacity, or physical distress due to poor health) · sip སྙུང་བོ (the state or characteristic of weakness, incapacity, or physical distress due to poor health)