English UsageGrammar guide

Sick Of: Standard Pattern

Sick Of: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.

Quick answer

Use “sick of” when someone is annoyed or tired of a person, thing, or repeated situation.

Key details

Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyadjective or complement construction
Termssick of

Further guidance

Construction

Use “sick of” when someone is annoyed or tired of a person, thing, or repeated situation.

Style Boundary

Cambridge directly documents the fed-up construction “sick of” / “sick and tired of”; this page does not treat physical illness uses of “sick” as the same construction.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. SICK AND TIRED OF | English meaning — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct Cambridge dictionary evidence for sick of / sick and tired of in the fed-up sense.

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