Talk about people or animals who are unwell.

The idea

Use sick after be or feel, or before a noun: a sick child.

Examples

  • My brother is sick today.
  • The sick child stayed home.
  • I feel sick this morning.
  • Her cat was sick last week.
  • The nurse helped a sick visitor.
  • He is sick and needs some rest.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

Sick can mean ill; in British English be sick can also mean vomit, so listen to the context.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct word. She is ___ and needs to rest. (sick / tall)

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    sick

    sick describes the person who needs to rest.

  2. Choose the correct word. The ___ dog needs a vet. (sick / busy)

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    sick

    sick comes before the noun describing the dog.

  3. Choose the correct word. He ___ sick after lunch. (feels / opens)

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    feels

    feels links the person to the state of being unwell.

Use it today

Describe someone who feels unwell and what they need.