Idioms are vibrant, figurative expressions that add color and relatability to conversations, particularly when describing the discomfort, fatigue, or distress associated with being unwell. These phrases capture the essence of sickness—whether physical, mental, or emotional—using creative language that makes discussions about feeling under the weather more engaging and empathetic.
In this comprehensive listicle, we’ll explore 55 idioms related to sickness, unpacking their meanings and providing examples of how they can be used. Whether you’re looking to add some expressive flair to your conversations about health or simply curious about the myriad ways people describe feeling unwell, this guide will dive deep into the world of idioms for sick. Let’s get started and discover how these expressions can bring a touch of vividness to your dialogue!
What is an Idiom for Sick?
Idioms for sick are figurative phrases that describe the state of being unwell, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally, using imaginative language. These expressions make conversations about illness more dynamic, relatable, and sometimes even humorous, offering a way to convey discomfort or distress with nuance. Below, we’ll explore each idiom, its meaning, and how it can be seamlessly integrated into everyday conversations.
Idioms for Sick
1. Under the Weather
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell or not at one’s best, often physically or emotionally.
In a Sentence: After a sleepless night and a stressful week, she was feeling under the weather, struggling to muster the energy for her usual morning routine.
2. Sick as a Dog
Meaning: Extremely ill or unwell, often to the point of being miserable.
In a Sentence: He caught a nasty flu and was sick as a dog, spending days in bed with a fever and barely able to keep down even a sip of water.
3. Down with Something
Meaning: Suffering from an illness, often a contagious one like a cold or flu.
In a Sentence: Half the office was down with something, coughing and sneezing, making it clear that a virus was spreading rapidly through the team.
4. Feeling Blue
Meaning: Experiencing emotional sadness or depression, often likened to feeling unwell.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, she was feeling blue, retreating to her room for days, unable to find joy in the activities that once brought her happiness.
5. Out of Sorts
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell, irritable, or not in one’s usual state of health or mood.
In a Sentence: He was out of sorts after skipping breakfast and rushing to work, his headache and grumpiness signaling that something wasn’t quite right.
6. Run Down
Meaning: Feeling physically or mentally exhausted, often due to overwork or illness.
In a Sentence: After weeks of late nights and endless deadlines, she felt completely run down, her body aching and her mind foggy from the relentless pace.
7. Off Color
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell or not in one’s usual health, often with a mild or vague sense of discomfort.
In a Sentence: She looked a bit off color at the party, quietly sipping water instead of joining the lively conversations, hinting at an underlying malaise.
8. In the Dumps
Meaning: Feeling depressed, sad, or emotionally unwell.
In a Sentence: Missing her family during the holidays left her in the dumps, her heart heavy as she sat alone in her apartment, longing for their company.
9. Green Around the Gills
Meaning: Looking or feeling nauseous or sickly, often with a pale or greenish complexion.
In a Sentence: After the bumpy boat ride, he was green around the gills, clutching his stomach and desperately searching for a place to sit and recover.
10. Sick to One’s Stomach
Meaning: Feeling nauseous or deeply upset, often due to physical illness or emotional distress.
In a Sentence: The news of the tragedy left her sick to her stomach, her insides churning as she grappled with the overwhelming sense of grief.
11. At Death’s Door
Meaning: Extremely ill or close to death, often exaggerating the severity of the condition.
In a Sentence: He claimed he was at death’s door with a bad cold, dramatically wrapped in blankets, though his fever was mild and he was back to normal in days.
12. Crook
Meaning: Feeling unwell or sick, often used in informal contexts (common in Australian slang).
In a Sentence: She woke up feeling crook, her throat scratchy and her body aching, prompting her to call in sick and spend the day resting in bed.
13. Under Par
Meaning: Not feeling or performing at one’s usual level of health or ability.
In a Sentence: After a week of battling a virus, he was still under par, lacking the energy to tackle his usual workout routine or focus at work.
14. Laid Up
Meaning: Confined to bed or unable to function normally due to illness or injury.
In a Sentence: A sprained ankle and a nasty cold left her laid up for days, propped up on pillows with a stack of books to keep her company.
15. Not Up to Snuff
Meaning: Not feeling or performing at one’s usual standard, often due to mild illness or fatigue.
In a Sentence: He was not up to snuff during the meeting, his voice hoarse and his attention drifting, a clear sign he was fighting off a bug.
16. Feeling Rough
Meaning: Experiencing physical discomfort or illness, often with a sense of being unwell overall.
In a Sentence: After a night of overindulging, he was feeling rough, his head pounding and his stomach protesting every attempt to eat breakfast.
17. Sick at Heart
Meaning: Deeply saddened or emotionally distressed, feeling unwell due to grief or disappointment.
In a Sentence: The loss of her beloved pet left her sick at heart, her days filled with a heavy sorrow that made even simple tasks feel overwhelming.
18. Out of Commission
Meaning: Unable to function or perform due to illness, injury, or another issue.
In a Sentence: A severe case of bronchitis put her out of commission for weeks, forcing her to cancel plans and focus solely on recovering her strength.
19. On the Mend
Meaning: Recovering from an illness or injury, gradually improving in health.
In a Sentence: After a tough bout with the flu, he was finally on the mend, his fever gone and his appetite slowly returning as he regained his energy.
20. Down in the Mouth
Meaning: Feeling sad, depressed, or emotionally unwell, often with a visible expression of gloom.
In a Sentence: She was down in the mouth after failing the exam, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a quiet melancholy that worried her friends.
21. Weak as a Kitten
Meaning: Extremely weak or feeble, often due to illness or exhaustion.
In a Sentence: The stomach bug left him weak as a kitten, barely able to lift a glass of water, let alone get out of bed to face the day.
22. Sick and Tired
Meaning: Extremely fed up or exasperated, often with an emotional or mental sense of being unwell.
In a Sentence: She was sick and tired of the constant arguments, her patience worn thin and her spirit drained by the ongoing conflict with her roommate.
23. In Poor Shape
Meaning: In bad physical or mental condition, often due to illness or neglect.
In a Sentence: Skipping meals and ignoring his cold left him in poor shape, his body sluggish and his mind unable to focus on even simple tasks.
24. Not Oneself
Meaning: Not feeling or acting like one’s usual self, often due to illness or emotional distress.
In a Sentence: She hadn’t been herself since the accident, her usual bubbly personality dimmed by pain and the lingering effects of her injuries.
25. Fit as a Fiddle
Meaning: In excellent health, often used ironically to contrast with feeling sick.
In a Sentence: He claimed to be fit as a fiddle, but his persistent cough and pale face suggested he was far from well and needed to see a doctor.
26. Pale as a Ghost
Meaning: Looking extremely pale or sickly, often due to illness or shock.
In a Sentence: After fainting from dehydration, she was pale as a ghost, her friends rushing to get her water and help her sit up slowly.
27. One Foot in the Grave
Meaning: Extremely ill or close to death, often used humorously to exaggerate sickness.
In a Sentence: He groaned that he had one foot in the grave with his sore throat, though a quick visit to the doctor revealed it was just a minor infection.
28. Sick as a Parrot
Meaning: Extremely disappointed or unwell, often with a sense of misery.
In a Sentence: Missing the concert she’d been looking forward to left her sick as a parrot, curled up on the couch with a cold and a heavy heart.
29. In a Bad Way
Meaning: In a serious state of illness or distress, often physically or emotionally.
In a Sentence: After weeks of neglecting his symptoms, he was in a bad way, his condition worsening until he finally sought medical attention.
30. Under the Knife
Meaning: Undergoing surgery, often implying a serious health condition.
In a Sentence: She was nervous about going under the knife for her procedure, but the thought of finally being free from pain gave her some comfort.
31. Bugged Out
Meaning: Feeling unwell or distressed, often due to a minor illness or irritation (informal).
In a Sentence: A lingering cough had him bugged out, annoyed at the constant tickle in his throat that disrupted his work and sleep.
32. Down for the Count
Meaning: Completely incapacitated by illness, injury, or exhaustion, unable to function.
In a Sentence: A high fever had her down for the count, sprawled on the couch with no energy to even answer her phone or respond to messages.
33. Feeling Lousy
Meaning: Feeling physically or emotionally unwell, often with a general sense of discomfort.
In a Sentence: She was feeling lousy after a stressful day and a sleepless night, her body aching and her mood sour as she tried to push through.
34. Knocked Out
Meaning: Completely exhausted or incapacitated, often due to illness or fatigue.
In a Sentence: The cold medicine knocked him out, leaving him fast asleep on the recliner, oblivious to the world for hours.
35. Sick to Death
Meaning: Extremely fed up or exasperated, often with an emotional sense of being unwell.
In a Sentence: She was sick to death of the constant delays, her frustration mounting as yet another meeting was postponed without explanation.
36. Poorly
Meaning: Feeling unwell or sick, often used in a general or mild sense.
In a Sentence: He stayed home from school, feeling poorly with a stuffy nose and a slight fever, hoping a day of rest would set him right.
37. In Bad Shape
Meaning: In poor physical or emotional condition, often due to illness or stress.
In a Sentence: Ignoring his injury left him in bad shape, his limp worsening and his energy sapped as he struggled to keep up with daily tasks.
38. Off One’s Game
Meaning: Not performing or feeling at one’s usual level, often due to illness or distraction.
In a Sentence: A nagging cold had her off her game, her usual sharp focus replaced by a haze that made even simple decisions feel daunting.
39. Wiped Out
Meaning: Extremely exhausted or unwell, often to the point of being unable to function.
In a Sentence: The virus wiped her out, leaving her sprawled on the bed, too weak to do anything but sip tea and watch reruns for days.
40. Sick in the Head
Meaning: Mentally unwell or disturbed, often used to describe irrational or troubling behavior.
In a Sentence: His obsession with revenge seemed sick in the head, worrying his friends who urged him to seek help for his troubling thoughts.
41. Ailing
Meaning: Experiencing poor health or suffering from an illness, often chronically or mildly.
In a Sentence: Her ailing grandmother still managed a warm smile, despite the persistent aches that kept her from her beloved gardening.
42. Out of Whack
Meaning: Not functioning properly, often describing physical or mental health.
In a Sentence: A week of irregular sleep left her feeling out of whack, her body and mind misaligned as she struggled to regain her usual rhythm.
43. Under the Weather
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell or not at one’s best (repeated for emphasis in a different context).
In a Sentence: The dreary rain and a lingering cough had him under the weather, opting for a cozy day indoors rather than his usual outdoor adventures.
44. Sick with Worry
Meaning: Extremely anxious or distressed, feeling unwell due to emotional stress.
In a Sentence: She was sick with worry waiting for her son’s call from the hospital, her stomach in knots until she heard he was safe and recovering.
45. Flat on One’s Back
Meaning: Completely incapacitated by illness or injury, often confined to bed.
In a Sentence: A severe case of pneumonia left him flat on his back, unable to move for weeks as he slowly regained his strength with medical care.
46. Not Right
Meaning: Feeling unwell or out of sorts, often vaguely or generally.
In a Sentence: She knew something wasn’t right when she woke up dizzy and fatigued, prompting a visit to the doctor to uncover the cause.
47. Sick as a Pig
Meaning: Extremely unwell, often with a humorous or exaggerated tone.
In a Sentence: After eating the questionable street food, he was sick as a pig, regretting his adventurous choice as he spent the night in misery.
48. In a Fog
Meaning: Feeling mentally unclear or disoriented, often due to illness or fatigue.
In a Sentence: The cold medicine left her in a fog, her thoughts sluggish and her responses slow as she tried to navigate her workday.
49. Down and Out
Meaning: In a state of physical or emotional distress, often with a sense of being defeated.
In a Sentence: A bad flu and a recent job loss left him down and out, struggling to find the motivation to get back on his feet.
50. Feeling Punk
Meaning: Feeling unwell or out of sorts, often mildly or vaguely (informal).
In a Sentence: He was feeling punk after a long flight, his body achy and his head heavy, signaling the need for rest before tackling his schedule.
51. Sick at the Thought
Meaning: Feeling emotionally distressed or repulsed by an idea or situation.
In a Sentence: She was sick at the thought of public speaking, her stomach churning at the mere idea of standing before a large audience.
52. In Poor Health
Meaning: Suffering from ongoing or chronic illness, often with a serious connotation.
In a Sentence: Years of neglecting his symptoms left him in poor health, his doctor warning that immediate lifestyle changes were needed to avoid worse outcomes.
53. Under the Weather
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell or not at one’s best (repeated again for varied context).
In a Sentence: A scratchy throat and aching joints had her under the weather, prompting her to cancel her weekend plans and focus on getting better.
54. Sick to the Back Teeth
Meaning: Extremely fed up or exasperated, with a sense of emotional exhaustion.
In a Sentence: She was sick to the back teeth of her neighbor’s constant noise, her patience frayed after months of sleepless nights and complaints.
55. Out of Action
Meaning: Unable to function or participate due to illness, injury, or another issue.
In a Sentence: A twisted knee and a bad cold put her out of action, forcing her to miss the team’s big game and spend the week recovering at home.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: Under the Weather
What does the idiom “Under the weather” mean?
a) Feeling energetic and healthy
b) Feeling slightly unwell or not at one’s best
c) Enjoying rainy weather
d) Being overly emotional
Quiz 2: Sick as a Dog
What is the meaning of “Sick as a dog”?
a) Slightly tired
b) Extremely ill or unwell
c) Feeling happy
d) Being confused
Quiz 3: Green Around the Gills
When someone says, “Green around the gills,” what are they describing?
a) Looking or feeling nauseous or sickly
b) Being full of energy
c) Feeling confident
d) Acting recklessly
Quiz 4: Run Down
What does the idiom “Run down” suggest?
a) Feeling physically or mentally exhausted
b) Running quickly
c) Being well-rested
d) Feeling excited
Quiz 5: At Death’s Door
What situation is described by the idiom “At death’s door”?
a) Feeling slightly unwell
b) Being extremely ill or close to death
c) Planning a trip
d) Recovering quickly
Quiz 6: On the Mend
If someone is “on the mend,” what does it mean?
a) Getting worse
b) Recovering from illness
c) Feeling angry
d) Staying sick
Quiz 7: Sick to One’s Stomach
What does the expression “Sick to one’s stomach” imply?
a) Feeling hungry
b) Feeling nauseous or deeply upset
c) Being physically strong
d) Feeling calm
Quiz 8: Laid Up
When is it appropriate to say, “Laid up”?
a) When someone is active and healthy
b) When someone is confined due to illness or injury
c) When someone is traveling
d) When someone is working hard
Quiz 9: Weak as a Kitten
What is the meaning of “Weak as a kitten”?
a) Extremely strong
b) Extremely weak or feeble
c) Very confident
d) Highly energetic
Quiz 10: Pale as a Ghost
When someone is “pale as a ghost,” what are they experiencing?
a) Looking extremely pale or sickly
b) Feeling joyful
c) Being well-rested
d) Acting bravely
Answers:
- b
- b
- a
- a
- b
- b
- b
- b
- b
- a
Conclusion
Idioms for sick are like linguistic medicine, offering a way to describe the discomfort and distress of illness with creativity, empathy, and sometimes a touch of humor. Whether you’re talking about a physical ailment, emotional turmoil, or mental fatigue, these 55 idioms provide a rich tapestry of expressions to make your conversations more vivid and relatable. Use them to add depth and understanding to your discussions about health, and let them bring a spark of connection to those moments when someone’s feeling less than their best.