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Feeling sick vs Being sick

English translation: feeling sick = experiencing a feeling of unwellness; being sick = in an unwell state

11:29 May 13, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Medical - Medical: Pharmaceuticals
English term or phrase: Feeling sick vs Being sick
What is the difference. The text is a leaflet of a medicinal product.
Empty Whiskey Glass
Local time: 20:38
Selected answer:feeling sick = experiencing a feeling of unwellness; being sick = in an unwell state
Explanation:
If you feel sick, you may not necessarily BE sick, but you are experiencing some feeling of unwellness (such as a headache). To BE sick means that you are unwell, no question about it, and this has a cause such as a virus or bacteria.

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Note added at 7 mins (2004-05-13 11:36:58 GMT)
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So basically, feeling sick may or may not mean that you are in fact sick. You might have a feeling of sickness that is entirely non-pathological, in other words, not caused by any virus or bacteria. For instance, you might feel nauseous after seeing something very unpleasant. But this sort of feeling will frequently pass quite quickly. If you ARE sick on the other hand, you will experience certain symptoms depending on the exact illness, and there will be a definite pathological cause.

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Note added at 8 mins (2004-05-13 11:38:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Being sick can mean to vomit, but it can also mean to be unwell generally. For instance, if you\'re at home in bed with a cold, you might ring the office and say \"I\'m sick today\".

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Note added at 9 mins (2004-05-13 11:39:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Feel sick can also mean to feel nauseous (like you\'re going to throw up), as others have said.
Selected response from:

Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 05:38
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +13feeling sick = experiencing a feeling of unwellness; being sick = in an unwell state
Rowan Morrell
4 +10answer below
Louise Mawbey
5 +4nausea/nauseous vs vomiting
Hermeneutica
5 +4see exp
nothing
5 +1I think Rita is being confused by a slight difference between US and British English...
John Bowden
5 +1agreed with Rowan
RHELLER
5 +1Feeling sick = you are feeling sick (subjective), being sick = (you are actually sick)
humbird
32 meanings of sick = 1 ill (adj?) 2 vomit (verb?). In this case, it is 2.
chica nueva


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
answer below


Explanation:
Feeling sick = having the feeling that you might be going to vomit

Being sick = actually vomitting

Louise Mawbey
Germany
Local time: 19:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ruxi: yes, in US. It also means not feeling well. Being sick also means having a disease.
8 mins
agree  Spiros Doikas
16 mins
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
21 mins
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
1 hr
neutral  RHELLER: how did vomiting come up here?
1 hr
agree  Refugio
2 hrs
agree  ohemulen
5 hrs
agree  Charlie Bavington: oops, just seen, you had the same as Dee and nothing - well, you get an agree as well, then - all timed at 4 minutes - what's a bloke to do....:-) !!
7 hrs
agree  Kim Metzger: As an American, I associate "feeling sick" with nausea, too.
9 hrs
agree  chica nueva: sick = 1 feeling ill as if you are going to vomit eg Lucy felt sick the morning after the party.2 be sick = to vomit eg She was sick after she ate too much chocolate (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
22 hrs
agree  ben baudoin
1 day 0 min
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
feeling sick vs being sick
nausea/nauseous vs vomiting


Explanation:
That´s all there is to it ... very basic register though!

Hermeneutica
Switzerland
Local time: 19:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Refugio: Yes, they are well known euphemisms for nausea and vomiting
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Ruth!!!
neutral  RHELLER: a different point of view does not merit insults
3 hrs
  -> ????
agree  ohemulen
5 hrs
  -> Thank you Kristina!
agree  Charlie Bavington: not sure whether you or nothing was first, but this is the basic distinction as I understand it (British Eng)
7 hrs
agree  Orla Ryan
9 hrs
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +13
feeling sick vs being sick
feeling sick = experiencing a feeling of unwellness; being sick = in an unwell state


Explanation:
If you feel sick, you may not necessarily BE sick, but you are experiencing some feeling of unwellness (such as a headache). To BE sick means that you are unwell, no question about it, and this has a cause such as a virus or bacteria.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2004-05-13 11:36:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So basically, feeling sick may or may not mean that you are in fact sick. You might have a feeling of sickness that is entirely non-pathological, in other words, not caused by any virus or bacteria. For instance, you might feel nauseous after seeing something very unpleasant. But this sort of feeling will frequently pass quite quickly. If you ARE sick on the other hand, you will experience certain symptoms depending on the exact illness, and there will be a definite pathological cause.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2004-05-13 11:38:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Being sick can mean to vomit, but it can also mean to be unwell generally. For instance, if you\'re at home in bed with a cold, you might ring the office and say \"I\'m sick today\".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2004-05-13 11:39:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Feel sick can also mean to feel nauseous (like you\'re going to throw up), as others have said.

Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 05:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Elena Sgarbo (X): Well explained :-)
15 mins
  -> Thanks Elena.
agree  MJ Barber
38 mins
  -> Thanks MJ.
agree  Michele Johnson: I find this the authoritative, comprehensive answer.
54 mins
  -> Thank you kindly, Michele.
agree  Melanie Nassar: definitely, in US usage, at least. *sick* is not necessarily nauseous.
1 hr
  -> No, not necessarily. Thanks armaat.
agree  Penelope Ausejo
1 hr
  -> Thanks pepis.
agree  hookmv
1 hr
  -> Thanks Veronica.
agree  danya
1 hr
  -> Thanks Danya.
agree  RHELLER: the feeling can pass momentarily; if one IS (really) sick, one must see a doctor and (usually) receive treatment :-)
1 hr
  -> Quite right - thanks Rita.
agree  Mathew Robinson
2 hrs
  -> Thanks TechTrans.
agree  Java Cafe
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Java Cafe.
neutral  Refugio: Ordinarily, you would be right about these meanings, but in the context where they are contrasted, it is clearly much more specific and should be considered a primary answer, not an afterthought.
2 hrs
  -> I have mentioned the vomiting one alluded to by others, if that specific meaning is indeed intended. But I am not satisfied that the context is specific enough to rule out general illness, so feel all my explanations apply currently.
agree  ohemulen
5 hrs
  -> Thanks Kristina.
agree  Liesbeth Huijer
19 hrs
  -> Thanks Liesbeth.
agree  Iolanta Vlaykova Paneva
2 days 7 hrs
  -> Thanks Yolanta.
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
I think Rita is being confused by a slight difference between US and British English...


Explanation:
In BE, the primary meaning of "sick" is connected with nausea and vomiting - "I feel sick" = "I feel as if I'm about to vomit" (travel *sickness*, sea *sickness* etc), "The baby has just been sick" = vomited, "I'll clear up the sick" = I'll clear up the baby's vomit etc etc.

We do use the term "sick note" for a doctor's certification that you're not fit to go to work, and we "throw a sickie" = "take a day off work pretending to be ill" - but we're much more likely to say "You look ill/unwell/poorly" etc if we mean "sufering from an indisposition that doesn't involve vomiting!

So, if a BE speaker has e.g. flu, a cold, headache etc. he'd say "I don't feel well" or "I feel ill/rotten/terrible" etc - not "I feel sick"
HTH

John Bowden
Local time: 18:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RHELLER: thanks John. I feel that the Eng-Eng section owes non-native speakers a COMPLETE explanation; especially because little context is given. Who knows how they will be applying it?
4 mins
neutral  Refugio: That same meaning for sick is very common and completely understood by native English speakers in the United States. So the question still remains about just what it was that confused some prozers.
41 mins
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
feeling sick vs being sick
see exp


Explanation:
Feeling sick is when you have a sensation of nausea. Being sick is to actually vomit

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 16 mins (2004-05-13 13:45:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I agree with Dee\'s reply to Rita. It\'s the same in England. If we were talking about headaches and heartaches, we would say \"feeling ill/being ill\", although we \"phone sick\" when we cannot go to work because of illness and are \"off sick\" if we are not at work for that reason

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 55 mins (2004-05-13 14:24:51 GMT)
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I was thinking that you should check where the drug was made but, it just came to my mind that there are not cure-alls, so your medicine must be an emetic

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Note added at 2 hrs 55 mins (2004-05-13 14:25:14 GMT)
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sorry an anti-emetic

nothing
Local time: 18:38
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  IrinaGM
14 mins
  -> Thank you, Irina
neutral  RHELLER: I am at a loss as to why sick is being equated to nausea here
1 hr
neutral  Java Cafe: Perhaps because of the euphemistic use of "air sickness bags". :-)
2 hrs
  -> I think it probably started a lot earlier than that, more likely to come from sea sickness
agree  Hermeneutica: Thanks for the agree! I think Rita may not be very familiar with the kind of statements generally found in drug inserts.
2 hrs
  -> Cheers, Dee
agree  Refugio
5 hrs
agree  Charlie Bavington: not sure if you or Dee was first, but from my Brit Eng understanding, this is the simple difference between them.
7 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
feeling sick vs being sick
agreed with Rowan


Explanation:
WEBSTER'S
sick: a)affected with disease; not well or healthy; ill, ailing, indisposed;
b)affected with or attended by nausea

I am adding this because I feel it is the obligation of native speakers to give a complete explanation, rather than just part of an explanation









--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs 4 mins (2004-05-13 14:34:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In the U.S. we use the expression \"feel sick\" when we have not yet been diagnosed with something specific. If we knew we had the flu, for example, we could say \"I am sick\".

I feel ill
I am not feeling well today

If someone were suddenly overcome by palpitations and a general sense of fatigue, they could say \"I feel sick\". This has NOTHING to do with nausea.

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 11:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Refugio: Precision in usage, and discernment in the use of the vernacular, are the obligation of native speakers, not a shotgun blitz of all possible answers including those extraneous to the specific context.
48 mins
  -> what context? that this is a medicinal product? for which purpose?
agree  Ann Nosova: I am not a native speaker but i read in many books- to feel sick in the stomach(to feel nausea)
14 hrs
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Feeling sick = you are feeling sick (subjective), being sick = (you are actually sick)


Explanation:
The first describes you "feel" sick, but may be nothing wrong with you. Whereas the latter you are actually "being" sick and so diagnosed by a medical professional (doctor).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-05-13 19:09:32 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The difference is that the first is \"subjective\" and may not be proved (or no known cause for it), as opposed to the latter \"objective\" and so proved. If I was his/her doctor, I just send home without treatment or prescribing any drug (or might give a placebo -- if permissible). Whereas if he/she \"being sick\" I must give all necessary treatments, including prescription of medications.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-05-13 19:16:37 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Whether it is American English or British, I do not think \"sick\"ness is restricted to nausea. Its contexual spectrum is broader than that. However I agree with Rita, more context must be given before we can determine if the issue is about nausea alone.

humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Charlie Bavington: interesting answer - however in the context of a medical leaflet, I suspect the difference is, as others have explained, between a feeling of nausea and actually physically chucking up :-)
11 mins
  -> Thanks Charlie, read on.
agree  Rowan Morrell: With your added notes in particular.
6 hrs
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
feeling sick vs being sick
2 meanings of sick = 1 ill (adj?) 2 vomit (verb?). In this case, it is 2.


Explanation:
1 sick (ill) = physically or mentally ill; not well or healthy eg He's off/away sick today. On sick leave. a sick child

2 sick (vomit) = 1 feeling ill as if you are going to vomit eg Lucy felt sick. 2 be sick = to vomit eg She was sick after she ate too much chocolate.

If you are feeling unwell, not 100%, then you say 'I'm not feeling very well/I don't feel too good'. If you are feeling queasy and nauseous, then you say 'I feel sick/I feel like throwing up/I think I'm going to be sick'...


    Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
chica nueva
Local time: 05:38
Native speaker of: English
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