a. [f. SOUL sb. 24.]
1. Of persons: a. Suffering from spiritual indisposition or depression.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. III. Furies, 759. Soule-sick Patients care not to be heal’d.
1601. Dent, Pathw. Heaven (1831), 27. No doubt … they be shrewd signs that a man is extremely soul-sick and in a very dangerous case.
1641. L. F., Index Ch. Codex (title-p.), A speedy Remedy and Speciall Spirituall Receipt for a Soul-Sicke Sainte and Sonne.
1903. Dublin Rev., July, 185. The masses made blind and soul-sick by materialism and agnosticism.
absol. 1623. H. Sydenham, Serm. Sol. Occ. (1637), 25. To the weake and soule-sicke, the still voice.
b. Sick at heart; deeply dejected or depressed.
1609. Markham, Famous Wh. (1868), 32. Soule-sick to see my goods and riches waste.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Maid’s Trag., IV. i. I am soul-sick … Till I have got your pardon.
2. Characterized by dejection of spirit.
1880. Swinburne, Songs of Spring-t., Thalassius, 30. Death spirit-stricken of soul-sick days.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 27 June, 3. A soul-sick longing comes over us for the silent heather hill.
So Soul-sickness.
1662. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 187. Truly souch thowts cause soul-sickness.
1865. Swinburne, Chastelard, V. ii. 191. I would have given you mine own blood to drink If that could heal you of your soul-sickness.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., viii. This is the sort of faith we live by in our soul-sicknesses.
