Sick to your stomach
Meaning
To feel nauseous and have an urge to vomit, often due to physical illness, anxiety, or intense disgust.
Origin
The expression "sick to your stomach" powerfully captures the visceral experience of nausea through its direct, almost physical imagery. While "sick" has long been a general term for illness, its pairing with "stomach" narrows its meaning specifically to the churning, unsettled feeling that precedes vomiting. The phrase conjures a vivid internal landscape where illness literally descends into the core of one's being, making the discomfort palpable. It's a testament to the English language's ability to describe bodily sensations with stark simplicity, cementing the stomach as the undeniable epicenter of gut-wrenching distress.
Examples
- After riding the roller coaster three times in a row, I felt completely sick to my stomach and had to sit down.
- The news report about the terrible injustice made her sick to her stomach, filling her with anger and despair.