sicken

This term describes a transition into a state of illness or a visceral reaction to something repulsive. When used intransitively, it focuses on the biological process of falling ill, often suggesting a gradual decline in health rather than a sudden onset.

In its transitive forms, the word shifts from physical ailment to emotional or moral revulsion. It captures a feeling of deep disgust where the subject feels a physical sensation of nausea triggered by an ethical transgression or a grotesque sight, bridging the gap between a bodily reflex and a moral judgment.