50 Idioms for Sick With meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Sick
1. Under the Weather
Meaning: Feeling unwell or sick.
In a Sentence: I skipped school today because I was feeling under the weather. / Mom stayed in bed because she felt under the weather after catching a cold.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling off, Not feeling like myself
2. Down with Something
Meaning: Sick with a specific illness, like the flu or a cold.
In a Sentence: Sam is down with the flu and can’t join us at the game. / My sister was down with a fever all weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Sick with, Came down with
3. Catch a Bug
Meaning: To get a mild illness, usually a cold or flu.
In a Sentence: I must have caught a bug; I’ve been sneezing all morning.
Other Ways to Say: Picked up a virus, Got a cold
4. Out of Sorts
Meaning: Feeling slightly unwell or off-balance.
In a Sentence: He’s been out of sorts since yesterday and skipped dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Not feeling right, Off-color
5. Laid Up
Meaning: Confined to bed due to illness or injury.
In a Sentence: I was laid up for two weeks with pneumonia.
Other Ways to Say: Bedridden, Out of commission
6. Look Like Death Warmed Over
Meaning: To look extremely sick or exhausted.
In a Sentence: You should see a doctor—you look like death warmed over.
Other Ways to Say: Look terrible, Look pale and weak
7. Come Down With
Meaning: To begin to feel the symptoms of an illness.
In a Sentence: I think I’m coming down with something—I feel chills.
Other Ways to Say: Getting sick, Catching something
8. As Pale as a Ghost
Meaning: Extremely pale due to illness.
In a Sentence: He walked into the room as pale as a ghost.
Other Ways to Say: White as a sheet, Deathly pale
9. Sick as a Dog
Meaning: Extremely sick, usually with vomiting.
In a Sentence: I was sick as a dog after eating that street food.
Other Ways to Say: Very ill, Nauseous
10. Take to One’s Bed
Meaning: To go to bed due to illness.
In a Sentence: She took to her bed after catching the flu.
Other Ways to Say: Resting in bed, Staying in bed sick
11. Knocked Out
Meaning: Too tired or ill to do anything.
In a Sentence: That flu really knocked me out this week.
Other Ways to Say: Drained, Exhausted
12. Not Up to Par
Meaning: Not feeling as healthy or energetic as usual.
In a Sentence: I’m not up to par today, so I’ll skip the gym.
Other Ways to Say: Not 100%, Not at my best
13. Fever Pitch
Meaning: An intense level of fever or excitement (metaphorically).
In a Sentence: His fever reached a fever pitch last night.
Other Ways to Say: High fever, Burning up
14. Burned Out
Meaning: Emotionally or physically exhausted, sometimes due to stress or sickness.
In a Sentence: After working late all week, I feel completely burned out.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Mentally drained
15. Catch Your Death (of Cold)
Meaning: A humorous way to say someone could get very sick.
In a Sentence: Put on a coat, or you’ll catch your death out there!
Other Ways to Say: Risk getting very sick, Freeze into illness
16. Off-Color
Meaning: Slightly ill.
In a Sentence: She looked a bit off-color this morning.
Other Ways to Say: Under the weather, Not herself
17. A Touch of Something
Meaning: Mild symptoms of an illness.
In a Sentence: I think I have a touch of the flu.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling slightly sick, Low-grade illness
18. Broken Down
Meaning: Physically or emotionally exhausted.
In a Sentence: He’s been broken down ever since the surgery.
Other Ways to Say: Weak, Depleted
19. Flat on One’s Back
Meaning: Completely bedridden due to sickness.
In a Sentence: I’ve been flat on my back with a cold all weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Totally knocked out, Bedridden
20. Look Green Around the Gills
Meaning: Looking nauseous or sick.
In a Sentence: He looked green around the gills after the boat ride.
Other Ways to Say: Nauseous, Pale
21. On the Mend
Meaning: Recovering from an illness.
In a Sentence: After the surgery, he’s finally on the mend. / She’s been resting and is now on the mend.
Other Ways to Say: Healing, Getting better
22. Caught a Bug
Meaning: Got a mild illness, usually a cold or flu.
In a Sentence: I caught a bug and had to stay in bed. / Don’t come near me—I think I’ve caught a bug.
Other Ways to Say: Picked up a virus, Feeling sick
23. Laid Up
Meaning: Confined to bed due to sickness or injury.
In a Sentence: He was laid up for a week with back pain. / Grandma’s laid up with pneumonia.
Other Ways to Say: Bedridden, Out of commission
24. Not Up to Snuff
Meaning: Not feeling or performing as usual due to illness.
In a Sentence: I’m not up to snuff today, so I’ll work from home. / He’s not up to snuff after catching that cold.
Other Ways to Say: Off my game, Under the weather
25. Fever Pitch
Meaning: Extremely high excitement or agitation, often linked to fever or illness.
In a Sentence: Her stress was at a fever pitch before the diagnosis. / The child’s energy hit a fever pitch before collapsing with illness.
Other Ways to Say: Intense state, High tension
26. Feeling Like Death Warmed Over
Meaning: Feeling extremely ill or exhausted.
In a Sentence: After the flu, I felt like death warmed over. / He looked like death warmed over this morning.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling horrible, Close to collapsing
27. Sick as a Dog
Meaning: Extremely sick, especially with nausea.
In a Sentence: I was sick as a dog after eating bad sushi. / He was sick as a dog all weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Very ill, Vomiting a lot
28. Pale as a Ghost
Meaning: Very pale due to illness or shock.
In a Sentence: She was pale as a ghost when she walked into the hospital. / After fainting, he looked pale as a ghost.
Other Ways to Say: White as a sheet, Ghostly pale
29. Off-Color
Meaning: Slightly unwell, not feeling right.
In a Sentence: I’ve been feeling off-color since last night. / He looked a bit off-color and dizzy.
Other Ways to Say: Unwell, Not 100%
30. Not All There
Meaning: Acting confused or disoriented due to illness.
In a Sentence: After the high fever, he seemed not all there. / She was so sick she was not all there mentally.
Other Ways to Say: Out of it, Disoriented
31. A Clean Bill of Health
Meaning: Declared healthy after illness.
In a Sentence: The doctor gave me a clean bill of health. / He got a clean bill of health after weeks in recovery.
Other Ways to Say: Fully recovered, In the clear
32. Black Out
Meaning: To faint or lose consciousness.
In a Sentence: I blacked out from the fever. / She nearly blacked out from exhaustion.
Other Ways to Say: Faint, Lose consciousness
33. Run Down
Meaning: Feeling exhausted or sick due to fatigue.
In a Sentence: I’ve been feeling run down from too much work. / He’s run down and probably needs rest.
Other Ways to Say: Worn out, Burned out
34. A Touch of Something
Meaning: A mild or early stage of an illness.
In a Sentence: I think I’ve got a touch of the flu. / She has a touch of a stomach bug.
Other Ways to Say: Slight illness, Mild symptoms
35. Break Out in a Cold Sweat
Meaning: To sweat due to fear or sickness.
In a Sentence: He broke out in a cold sweat before vomiting. / I was so sick I broke out in a cold sweat.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous sweat, Chilled and sweating
36. Feeling Green
Meaning: Looking or feeling nauseous.
In a Sentence: He looked green after that roller coaster. / She felt green and had to lie down.
Other Ways to Say: Nauseous, Sick to the stomach
37. The Flu is Going Around
Meaning: Many people are currently catching the flu.
In a Sentence: Be careful—the flu is going around. / Everyone in class caught it because the flu is going around.
Other Ways to Say: There’s something going around, Outbreak happening
38. Knocked Out
Meaning: Completely drained due to illness.
In a Sentence: The cold really knocked me out this week. / He was knocked out for days by the infection.
Other Ways to Say: Drained, Out cold
39. Ache All Over
Meaning: Feeling pain in the entire body due to sickness.
In a Sentence: I ached all over from the flu. / After the virus, she ached all over.
Other Ways to Say: Body pains, Full-body ache
40. Not Firing on All Cylinders
Meaning: Not functioning fully due to illness.
In a Sentence: I’m not firing on all cylinders today—this fever is killing me. / She’s not quite herself—definitely not firing on all cylinders.
Other Ways to Say: Off track, Sluggish
41. Running a Temperature
Meaning: Having a fever.
In a Sentence: I’m running a temperature and staying home today. / The child is running a temperature of 101°F.
Other Ways to Say: Feverish, Has a fever
42. Feeling Lousy
Meaning: Feeling bad or unwell.
In a Sentence: I’m feeling lousy today, probably coming down with something. / He called in sick because he felt lousy.
Other Ways to Say: Awful, Miserable
43. Like I’ve Been Hit by a Truck
Meaning: Feeling extremely sore or sick.
In a Sentence: After the flu, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. / That cold made me feel like I’d been hit by a truck.
Other Ways to Say: Wrecked, Broken down
44. Down for the Count
Meaning: Temporarily unable to function due to illness.
In a Sentence: I was down for the count with the flu. / He’s down for the count after surgery.
Other Ways to Say: Out cold, Knocked out
45. Got the Chills
Meaning: Feeling shivers often due to fever.
In a Sentence: I’ve got the chills and can’t stop shaking. / She got the chills right before her fever rose.
Other Ways to Say: Shivering, Feverish
46. Feeling Crummy
Meaning: Feeling low or unwell.
In a Sentence: I skipped class because I was feeling crummy. / Don’t worry—he’s just feeling crummy from the weather.
Other Ways to Say: Down, Under the weather
47. Bit the Dust (Humorous)
Meaning: To die (sometimes used jokingly when feeling very sick).
In a Sentence: I thought I’d bite the dust when my fever hit 104! / He joked that he nearly bit the dust during food poisoning.
Other Ways to Say: Nearly died, Felt like death
48. He’s Got Something
Meaning: Sick with an unidentified illness.
In a Sentence: The doctor says he’s got something but isn’t sure what. / She’s got something that’s been going around.
Other Ways to Say: Caught a bug, Sick
49. Took a Turn for the Worse
Meaning: Health condition got worse.
In a Sentence: Grandma took a turn for the worse last night. / His cold took a turn for the worse after day two.
Other Ways to Say: Declined, Worsened
50. Sick to My Stomach
Meaning: Feeling nauseous or upset in the stomach.
In a Sentence: I was sick to my stomach after that ride. / She felt sick to her stomach watching the news.
Other Ways to Say: Nauseated, Queasy
