Sick vs. Crook — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 4, 2024
Sick often refers to experiencing illness or poor health, focusing on physical or mental conditions. Crook, on the other hand, typically means someone dishonest or criminal, highlighting moral or legal deviations.
Difference Between Sick and Crook
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Sick is primarily used to describe a state of not being in good health, whether due to disease, infection, or other medical conditions. Individuals may say they are sick when they feel physically or mentally unwell. On the other hand, crook is commonly used in informal contexts to refer to someone who is considered dishonest, untrustworthy, or engaged in criminal activities. This term focuses on the moral or legal status of a person rather than their health.
While being sick can affect anyone regardless of their moral or social standing, being labeled a crook implies a judgment about a person's character or actions. It suggests a deviation from societal norms or laws, whereas being sick simply indicates a deviation from normal health.
Sick can also be used more broadly to express disgust or disapproval of something, such as "I'm sick of this weather." In contrast, crook is more narrowly defined and rarely used outside of contexts related to dishonesty or criminal behavior.
The term sick might be used in a sympathetic or concerned manner, reflecting care for someone's well-being. However, calling someone a crook typically carries negative connotations, often used to express mistrust or condemnation.
The use of sick in colloquial language has evolved, and it can sometimes mean something extremely good or cool, especially among younger populations. Crook, however, maintains its negative implications without such positive reinterpretations.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Refers to being in a state of ill health.
Refers to someone who is dishonest or engages in criminal activities.
Context
Medical or general well-being.
Moral or legal standing.
Usage
Can describe physical or mental conditions.
Describes character or behavior.
Connotations
Can be neutral, negative, or sympathetic.
Primarily negative, indicating disapproval.
Colloquial Meanings
May also mean feeling disgust or something cool (slang).
Lacks positive slang meanings, remains negative.
Compare with Definitions
Sick
Feeling unwell due to illness or disease.
He's been sick with the flu for a week.
Crook
Someone deceitful or untrustworthy.
He's a crook, don't lend him money.
Sick
Overwhelmed by negative emotion.
I feel sick with worry about the exam.
Crook
A character in stories often depicted as the antagonist.
In the movie, the crook was finally arrested.
Sick
Expressing disgust or fed up with something.
She's sick of the constant delays.
Crook
A person who engages in dishonest or criminal activities.
The police caught the crook red-handed.
Sick
Awesome or impressive in slang.
That skateboard trick was sick!
Crook
A term used to express disapproval or disdain.
Only a crook would lie to the elderly.
Sick
Affected by physical or mental illness
Visiting the sick and the elderly
Nursing very sick children
Half my staff were off sick
Crook
Informal usage to criticize someone's ethics.
She's known to be a bit of a crook in business deals.
Sick
Feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit
Mark felt sick with fear
He was starting to feel sick
Crook
An implement or tool, such as a bishop's crosier or a shepherd's staff, with a bent or curved part.
Sick
Intensely annoyed with or bored by (someone or something) as a result of having had too much of them
I'm absolutely sick of your moods
Crook
A part that is curved or bent like a hook.
Sick
(especially of humour) having something unpleasant such as death or misfortune as its subject and dealing with it in an offensive way
This was someone's idea of a sick joke
Crook
A curve or bend; a turn
A crook in the path.
Sick
Excellent.
Crook
(Informal) One who makes a living by dishonest methods.
Sick
Vomit
She was busy wiping sick from the carpet
Crook
To make a crook in; bend
Crooked an arm around the package.
Sick
Set a dog on
The plan was to surprise the heck out of the grizzly by sicking the dog on him
Crook
To bend or curve.
Sick
Suffering from or affected with a physical illness; ailing.
Crook
Out of order; faulty.
Sick
Of or for sick persons
Sick wards.
Crook
Not well; ill.
Sick
Nauseated.
Crook
Of poor quality; inferior.
Sick
Mentally ill or disturbed.
Crook
Not honest; crooked.
Sick
Unwholesome, morbid, or sadistic
A sick joke.
A sick crime.
Crook
A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure.
She held the baby in the crook of her arm.
Sick
Defective; unsound
A sick economy.
Crook
A bending of the knee; a genuflection.
Sick
Deeply distressed; upset
Sick with worry.
Crook
A bent or curved part; a curving piece or portion (of anything).
The crook of a cane
Sick
Disgusted; revolted.
Crook
(obsolete) A lock or curl of hair.
Sick
Weary; tired
Sick of it all.
Crook
(obsolete) A support beam consisting of a post with a cross-beam resting upon it; a bracket or truss consisting of a vertical piece, a horizontal piece, and a strut.
Sick
Pining; longing
Sick for his native land.
Crook
A specialized staff with a semi-circular bend (a "hook") at one end used by shepherds to control their herds.
Sick
In need of repairs
A sick ship.
Crook
A bishop's standard staff of office.
Sick
Constituting an unhealthy environment for those working or residing within
A sick office building.
Crook
An artifice; a trick; a contrivance.
Sick
Unable to produce a profitable yield of crops
Sick soil.
Crook
A person who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal.
Sick
(Slang) Excellent; outstanding
Did a sick run down the halfpipe.
Crook
A pothook.
Sick
Sick people considered as a group. Often used with the.
Crook
(music) A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.
Sick
Chiefly British Vomit.
Crook
(transitive) To bend, or form into a hook.
He crooked his finger toward me.
Sick
Variant of sic2.
Crook
(intransitive) To become bent or hooked.
Sick
In poor health; ill.
She was sick all day with the flu.
We have to care for the sick.
Crook
To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist.
Sick
Having an urge to vomit.
Crook
Bad, unsatisfactory, not up to standard.
That work you did on my car is crook, mate.
Not turning up for training was pretty crook.
Sick
(colloquial) Mentally unstable, disturbed.
Crook
Ill, sick.
I′m feeling a bit crook.
Sick
(colloquial) In bad taste.
That's a sick joke.
Crook
Annoyed, angry; upset.
Be crook at/about; go crook at
Sick
Tired of or annoyed by something.
I've heard that song on the radio so many times that I'm starting to get sick of it.
Crook
A bend, turn, or curve; curvature; flexure.
Through lanes, and crooks, and darkness.
Sick
(slang) Very good, excellent, awesome, badass.
This tune is sick.
Dude, this car's got a sick subwoofer!
Crook
Any implement having a bent or crooked end.
He left his crook, he left his flocks.
Sick
In poor condition.
Sick building syndrome; my car is looking pretty sick; my job prospects are pretty sick
Crook
A pothook.
Sick
(agriculture) Failing to sustain adequate harvests of crop, usually specified.
Crook
An artifice; trick; tricky device; subterfuge.
For all yuor brags, hooks, and crooks.
Sick
Vomit.
He lay there in a pool of his own sick.
Crook
A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.
Sick
(especially in the phrases on the sick and on long-term sick) Any of various current or former benefits or allowances paid by the Government to support the sick, disabled or incapacitated.
Crook
A person given to fraudulent practices; an accomplice of thieves, forgers, etc.
Sick
(colloquial) To vomit.
I woke up at 4 am and sicked on the floor.
Crook
To turn from a straight line; to bend; to curve.
Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee.
Sick
To fall sick; to sicken.
Crook
To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist.
There is no one thing that crooks youth more than such unlawfull games.
What soever affairs pass such a man's hands, he crooketh them to his own ends.
Sick
(rare) sic
Crook
To bend; to curve; to wind; to have a curvature.
Their shoes and pattens are snouted, and piked more than a finger long, crooking upwards.
Sick
Affected with disease of any kind; ill; indisposed; not in health. See the Synonym under Illness.
Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever.
Behold them that are sick with famine.
Crook
Someone who has committed (or been legally convicted of) a crime
Sick
Affected with, or attended by, nausea; inclined to vomit; as, sick at the stomach; a sick headache.
Crook
A circular segment of a curve;
A bend in the road
A crook in the path
Sick
Having a strong dislike; disgusted; surfeited; - with of; as, to be sick of flattery.
He was not so sick of his master as of his work.
Crook
A long staff with one end being hook shaped
Sick
Corrupted; imperfect; impaired; weakned.
So great is his antipathy against episcopacy, that, if a seraphim himself should be a bishop, he would either find or make some sick feathers in his wings.
Crook
Bend or cause to bend;
He crooked his index finger
The road curved sharply
Sick
Sickness.
Sick
To fall sick; to sicken.
Sick
People who are sick;
They devote their lives to caring for the sick
Sick
Eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth;
After drinking too much, the students vomited
He purged continuously
The patient regurgitated the food we gave him last night
Sick
Not in good physical or mental health;
Ill from the monotony of his suffering
Sick
Feeling nausea; feeling about to vomit
Sick
Affected with madness or insanity;
A man who had gone mad
Sick
Having a strong distaste from surfeit;
Grew more and more disgusted
Fed up with their complaints
Sick of it all
Sick to death of flattery
Gossip that makes one sick
Tired of the noise and smoke
Common Curiosities
Can someone be sick and a crook?
Yes, individuals can be sick while also being considered a crook, as one pertains to health and the other to moral or legal standing.
Why do people use the term crook?
It's used to describe or identify someone as dishonest or criminal.
Do all cultures understand "sick" the same way?
While the concept of illness is universal, cultural differences can affect perceptions of what being sick means.
Can sickness be mental?
Yes, sickness can refer to both physical and mental health issues.
What does being sick mean?
Being sick means experiencing ill health, either physically or mentally.
Is being called sick always negative?
Not always, as "sick" can also express sympathy or, in slang, something impressive.
What is the origin of the term "crook"?
The term "crook" originates from Old English "crōc", initially meaning a crooked staff or object, later evolving to describe dishonest people.
Who is considered a crook?
A crook is someone who is dishonest or commits criminal acts.
How is the term "crook" used in law?
In legal contexts, "crook" is informal and used more in public discourse than in legal terminology.
Are all crooks criminals?
Generally, yes, but the term can also apply to those who are dishonest without committing a crime.
How can you tell if someone is sick?
Symptoms like fever, cough, or fatigue can indicate someone is sick.
Is calling someone a crook libelous?
If untrue, calling someone a crook could be considered defamatory or libelous.
Can animals be sick?
Yes, animals can also be sick, meaning they are experiencing poor health.
Can being sick affect one's mood?
Yes, being sick can significantly affect a person's mood, often leading to feelings of frustration, sadness, or irritability.
Is "sick" used differently in medical contexts?
In medical contexts, "sick" is used more specifically to describe illness and disease, with less emphasis on slang meanings.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
