Sick in slang means amazing or awesome: That's sick! means That's so cool! It sounds enthusiastic, and friends say it to each other about tricks, concerts, things and news. It's out of place with older people and colleagues, and in schoolwork: in an essay or IELTS Speaking, praise things with amazing, brilliant or excellent.
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That's sick!; a sick + noun (trick/view/setup); Sick! (as a reply)
- Did you see his skateboard trick? That was sick!
- You got tickets for the final? Sick, I'm so jealous!
- They've got a sick new gaming setup with three huge screens.
What changed
First versionDear Professor Grant, your lecture on climate change was sick, thank you!
RevisionDear Professor Grant, your lecture on climate change was excellent, thank you!
The email opens with Dear Professor Grant, and in a message to a professor the slang sick sounds far too familiar; it could also be read in its usual, unpleasant sense. Excellent gives the same praise politely and unambiguously.
The ordinary sick means ill or feeling like you're going to throw up: I feel sick after that boat trip. The slang sick expresses excitement: That boat trip was sick! What it describes gives it away: about how you feel, it's bad; about an event or a thing, especially in an exclamation, it's great.
Your turn
My friend landed a perfect backflip on his skateboard, and everyone around shouted, 'That was ___!'
Show the answer
sick — A perfect backflip and everyone shouting show excitement, so sick, meaning amazing. Cringe means embarrassing, awkward to watch, and nobody is embarrassed by a perfect trick.
Text a friend an excited message about something you tried for the first time recently. Say where it was.
We tried the new climbing wall at the sports centre yesterday for the first time, and it was sick!
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