Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

sick adj.

¹ ill

VERBS be, look | become, fall (formal), get (informal) He fell sick with yellow fever. She was afraid she would get sick if she stayed in that place any longer.

ADV. chronically, desperately, extremely, terribly, very The house has accommodation for up to 60 chronically sick or disabled residents. a very sick woman in the next bed | incurably, terminally | mentally

PHRASES be off sick John's not in the office today, he's off sick.

² ill in your stomach

VERBS be, feel, look Mum, I feel sick! | get I get travel-sick if I sit in the back seat. | make sb If you eat all that chocolate it'll make you sick.

ADV. horribly, really, very, violently He leaned sideways and was violently sick. | almost | a bit, faintly, a little, quite, rather, slightly | continually | physically Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.

PREP. with Laura felt almost sick with embarrassment.

PHRASES be as sick as a dog

³ bored/disgusted/annoyed

VERBS be | become, get I'm getting sick of all these delays. | make sb Her attitude makes me sick.

ADV. heartily, really He was getting heartily sick of all the false sympathy. | absolutely, thoroughly | a bit, pretty, rather She was getting a bit sick of his moaning.

PREP. of I'm getting sick of you leaving things in a mess.

PHRASES sick and tired of sth, sick to death of sth, sick to the back teeth of sth

⁴ cruel/in bad taste

VERBS be, seem, sound

ADV. extremely, really, very You're really sick, you know that? | pretty, rather It was pretty sick humour, I thought.

PHRASES sick in the head Whoever started the fire must be sick in the head.

sick noun the sick

ADJ. chronic, long-term

VERB + SICK visit | care for, look after workers who are caring for the sick and elderly | treat | cure, heal the Church's mission to preach the gospel and heal the sick

PHRASES the sick and wounded The sick and wounded were evacuated from the war zone.