Sometimes when people feel sick, it can be hard to explain how bad it is. That’s where similes can help. A simile is a way to compare one thing to something else using the words “like” or “as.” These comparisons make writing more interesting and help others understand feelings more clearly. Saying “I feel like a wet rag” gives a stronger picture than just saying “I feel tired.”
In this article, we’ll look at similes that show what it’s like to be sick. These similes use things from everyday life to describe how someone feels when they have a cold, fever, or just feel unwell. You’ll also get a chance to find the similes yourself and see how they are used in simple sentences.
Similes For Being Sick
1. As sick as a dog
Meaning: Feeling very ill
Give an Instance: I was as sick as a dog after eating that old sandwich. / She stayed in bed all day because she felt as sick as a dog.
Substitute Meaning: Extremely sick / Very unwell
2. Like a wet noodle
Meaning: Weak and tired from being sick
Give an Instance: He walked around like a wet noodle after the flu. / After throwing up, I felt like a wet noodle.
Substitute Meaning: No strength / Very tired
3. As pale as a ghost
Meaning: Looking very pale or sick
Give an Instance: She was as pale as a ghost before going to the nurse. / He looked as pale as a ghost after getting the shot.
Substitute Meaning: Lost color / Looking unwell
4. Like a furnace
Meaning: Feeling very hot from a fever
Give an Instance: My forehead was like a furnace during the night. / His body felt like a furnace when we checked his temperature.
Substitute Meaning: Burning up / Really hot
5. As weak as a kitten
Meaning: Very weak and fragile
Give an Instance: After the flu, I felt as weak as a kitten. / She tried to stand up but was as weak as a kitten.
Substitute Meaning: No energy / Fragile
6. Like a train wreck
Meaning: Feeling awful all over
Give an Instance: I woke up feeling like a train wreck. / After the long night of coughing, he felt like a train wreck.
Substitute Meaning: Everything hurts / Total mess
7. As slow as a turtle
Meaning: Moving very slowly due to sickness
Give an Instance: I was as slow as a turtle getting out of bed. / She walked down the hall as slow as a turtle.
Substitute Meaning: Lacking energy / Dragging feet
8. Like a flat tire
Meaning: Feeling worn out or run-down
Give an Instance: After staying home with the flu, I felt like a flat tire. / He looked like a flat tire after practice and a cold.
Substitute Meaning: Exhausted / Worn out
9. As dizzy as a spinning top
Meaning: Feeling very dizzy
Give an Instance: When I stood up, I was as dizzy as a spinning top. / She felt as dizzy as a spinning top in the nurse’s office.
Substitute Meaning: Light-headed / Spinning feeling
10. Like a used tissue
Meaning: Feeling tired, messy, and weak
Give an Instance: After the cold, I felt like a used tissue. / He looked like a used tissue after coughing all day.
Substitute Meaning: Drained / Rough and weak
11. As cold as ice
Meaning: Having chills or shivers
Give an Instance: My hands were as cold as ice during the fever. / He was shaking and as cold as ice.
Substitute Meaning: Chilly / Shivering
12. Like a leaking faucet
Meaning: Constantly coughing or sneezing
Give an Instance: My nose was like a leaking faucet all day. / He kept sneezing like a leaking faucet.
Substitute Meaning: Runny nose / Can’t stop sneezing
13. As dry as a desert
Meaning: Having a dry throat or mouth
Give an Instance: My throat was as dry as a desert. / She couldn’t talk because her mouth was as dry as a desert.
Substitute Meaning: Very thirsty / Dry and scratchy
14. Like a zombie
Meaning: Looking tired and slow-moving
Give an Instance: I walked into school like a zombie. / He felt like a zombie after staying home sick.
Substitute Meaning: Dragging / Sleepy and slow
15. As rough as sandpaper
Meaning: Having a scratchy or sore throat
Give an Instance: My throat felt as rough as sandpaper. / She said her throat was as rough as sandpaper when she woke up.
Substitute Meaning: Sore throat / Scratchy feeling
16. Like a popped balloon
Meaning: Feeling tired and drained
Give an Instance: I felt like a popped balloon after being sick all week. / She was like a popped balloon after throwing up.
Substitute Meaning: No energy / Completely worn out
17. As hot as toast
Meaning: Feeling too warm from a fever
Give an Instance: My cheeks were as hot as toast during the night. / He was sweating and as hot as toast.
Substitute Meaning: Overheated / Feverish
18. Like a broken robot
Meaning: Body feels stiff and doesn’t work right
Give an Instance: I moved like a broken robot after the flu. / She said her arms felt like a broken robot’s.
Substitute Meaning: Body aches / Can’t move well
19. As shaky as jelly
Meaning: Feeling weak and shaky
Give an Instance: I stood up and was as shaky as jelly. / His legs were as shaky as jelly after being sick.
Substitute Meaning: Unsteady / Weak knees
20. Like a wilted flower
Meaning: Looking tired and worn out
Give an Instance: She looked like a wilted flower in class. / I felt like a wilted flower after my fever.
Substitute Meaning: Droopy / Weak and sad-looking
21. As stuffed as a turkey
Meaning: Nose is full and hard to breathe
Give an Instance: My nose was as stuffed as a turkey. / He couldn’t breathe because he was as stuffed as a turkey.
Substitute Meaning: Congested / Blocked nose
22. Like a foggy window
Meaning: Mind feels unclear or confused
Give an Instance: I couldn’t think clearly—my brain felt like a foggy window. / After the flu, her thoughts were like a foggy window.
Substitute Meaning: Hard to focus / Confused feeling
23. As tired as an old dog
Meaning: Very, very tired
Give an Instance: I was as tired as an old dog after my cold. / She was as tired as an old dog and slept all day.
Substitute Meaning: Worn out / Needed rest
24. Like a balloon losing air
Meaning: Losing energy quickly
Give an Instance: I felt like a balloon losing air by lunchtime. / After gym, he was like a balloon losing air.
Substitute Meaning: Fading / Slowing down
25. As quiet as a whisper
Meaning: Voice is soft or gone from being sick
Give an Instance: My voice was as quiet as a whisper. / She spoke as quiet as a whisper after yelling the day before.
Substitute Meaning: Hoarse voice / Barely speaking
26. Like a car with no gas
Meaning: Out of energy
Give an Instance: After school, I felt like a car with no gas. / He tried to run but was like a car with no gas.
Substitute Meaning: Very tired / No strength
27. As itchy as a mosquito bite
Meaning: Feeling very itchy
Give an Instance: My skin was as itchy as a mosquito bite from the rash. / Her arm was as itchy as a mosquito bite all morning.
Substitute Meaning: Scratchy / Irritated
28. Like a storm cloud
Meaning: Looking grumpy or gloomy from being sick
Give an Instance: I felt like a storm cloud after missing the field trip. / He sat alone, looking like a storm cloud.
Substitute Meaning: In a bad mood / Sad and sick
29. As sore as a bruise
Meaning: Body parts hurting a lot
Give an Instance: My arms were as sore as a bruise. / She said her legs felt as sore as a bruise.
Substitute Meaning: Achy / Hurting
30. Like a wet blanket
Meaning: Feeling heavy and slow
Give an Instance: I felt like a wet blanket and didn’t want to move. / He was like a wet blanket during the whole game.
Substitute Meaning: Slow and tired / Weighed down
31. As slow as molasses
Meaning: Moving very slowly
Give an Instance: I got ready for school as slow as molasses. / She was as slow as molasses during math class.
Substitute Meaning: Taking forever / No energy
32. Like a broken fan
Meaning: Breathing sounds rough or not normal
Give an Instance: My breathing was like a broken fan when I was sick. / He wheezed like a broken fan after running.
Substitute Meaning: Wheezing / Breathing trouble
33. As clumsy as a baby deer
Meaning: Having trouble walking or standing
Give an Instance: I was as clumsy as a baby deer after getting out of bed. / She tripped and stumbled like a baby deer.
Substitute Meaning: Off-balance / Not steady
34. Like a frozen pizza
Meaning: Feeling cold and stiff
Give an Instance: My fingers felt like a frozen pizza at the doctor’s office. / He was shaking like a frozen pizza from the chills.
Substitute Meaning: Stiff / Cold
35. As grumpy as a bear
Meaning: Feeling crabby or grouchy when sick
Give an Instance: I was as grumpy as a bear when I had a headache. / She was as grumpy as a bear before taking medicine.
Substitute Meaning: In a bad mood / Irritable
36. Like an old engine
Meaning: Body feels slow and hard to start
Give an Instance: I felt like an old engine trying to get out of bed. / He moved like an old engine after being sick all weekend.
Substitute Meaning: Hard to move / Slow and stiff
37. As messy as a spilled drink
Meaning: Looking or feeling untidy from being sick
Give an Instance: After being sick, I looked as messy as a spilled drink. / She came to class as messy as a spilled drink.
Substitute Meaning: Unclean / Not put together
38. Like a broken clock
Meaning: Body or mind not working right
Give an Instance: My thoughts felt like a broken clock during the test. / He said his body felt like a broken clock after being sick.
Substitute Meaning: Off balance / Out of order
39. As still as a statue
Meaning: Not moving because of pain or weakness
Give an Instance: I was as still as a statue when my stomach hurt. / He sat on the couch as still as a statue.
Substitute Meaning: Frozen in place / Too tired to move
40. Like a bug under a shoe
Meaning: Feeling small or crushed by illness
Give an Instance: I felt like a bug under a shoe during the worst part of my cold. / She said she felt like a bug under a shoe after her headache.
Substitute Meaning: Hopeless / Very weak
41. As quiet as a sleeping cat
Meaning: Very quiet and still from being unwell
Give an Instance: He was as quiet as a sleeping cat the whole day. / I stayed as quiet as a sleeping cat during reading time.
Substitute Meaning: Not talking / Calm and resting
42. Like a squeaky door
Meaning: Voice sounds strange or sore
Give an Instance: My voice sounded like a squeaky door in the morning. / She tried to talk, but it came out like a squeaky door.
Substitute Meaning: Scratchy voice / Raspy
43. As slow as traffic
Meaning: Not moving or thinking fast
Give an Instance: My brain was as slow as traffic during math. / I walked to class as slow as traffic.
Substitute Meaning: Slow thoughts / Slow movement
44. Like an empty battery
Meaning: Feeling completely out of power
Give an Instance: I was like an empty battery after the flu. / He couldn’t play at recess because he felt like an empty battery.
Substitute Meaning: No energy / Totally tired
45. As yucky as spoiled milk
Meaning: Feeling really gross or unwell
Give an Instance: I felt as yucky as spoiled milk before going to the nurse. / She said she felt as yucky as spoiled milk after breakfast.
Substitute Meaning: Nauseated / Sick to the stomach
Find the “Similes For Being Sick”
Reading Passage
Last week, right before the school Valentine’s party, I started to feel strange. My head felt like a balloon losing air, and my legs were as shaky as jelly. I tried to stay quiet, but my voice came out like a squeaky door. At lunch, my body felt as hot as toast, and I didn’t even touch my heart-shaped cookie.
When I got home, I dropped my backpack and lay on the couch like a wet noodle. Mom checked my forehead and said it felt like a furnace. I had chills too my hands were as cold as ice, and I couldn’t stop shivering. My nose turned into a leaking faucet, and my throat was as rough as sandpaper.
I missed the party and stayed in bed for two days. I felt like a bug under a shoe just watching everyone’s fun photos on the class page. But at least I’m better now, just in time for our class trip next week.
Your Task
Underline or list all the similes in the passage. Each one compares how the person felt while being sick.
Answer Key
- Like a balloon losing air
- As shaky as jelly
- Like a squeaky door
- As hot as toast
- Like a wet noodle
- Like a furnace
- As cold as ice
- A leaking faucet
- As rough as sandpaper
- Like a bug under a shoe
Conclusion
Similes help us describe how we feel in a way that others can understand more clearly. When you’re sick, saying “I feel like a flat tire” or “as shaky as jelly” gives people a better picture than just saying “I feel bad.” These comparisons use simple language and everyday things to show how someone feels.
By learning similes, you can make your writing stronger and more interesting. They’re useful in stories, journals, and even talking with friends. Next time you don’t feel well, try using a simile to explain it.
