doentio, fraco, pálido
1. (adjective) frequently ill or in poor health; appearing weak or unhealthy
The sickly child rarely played outside with other kids.
A criança doentia raramente brincava lá fora com outras crianças.
2. (adjective) of a pale, unhealthy appearance; wan
He had a sickly complexion that worried his parents.
Ele tinha uma aparência pálida e doentia que preocupava seus pais.
3. (adjective) unpleasantly faint or weak in quality (taste, smell, color, light)
The room had a sickly sweet smell of decay.
O quarto tinha um cheiro doce e nauseante de decomposição.
4. (adverb) in a sickly manner; weakly
He sickly smiled at the joke, clearly not amused.
Ele sorriu de forma fraca para a piada, claramente desaprovando.
In American English, 'sickly' is often used to describe both physical health conditions and unpleasant sensory experiences (sickly smell). In Brazilian Portuguese, 'doentio' emphasizes the chronic weakness aspect, while 'pálido' focuses more on appearance. The term carries Victorian literary connotations in English, often associated with fragile characters in classic literature.
NYC Slang
sickly ain't really slang in NYC, but 'sickly' can mean something's off or weak-looking
Related Idioms & Phrases
sickly sweet - excessively sweet in a cloying or unpleasant way
look sickly - to appear unhealthy or unwell
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