call in sick

English

Verb

call in sick (third-person singular simple present calls in sick, present participle calling in sick, simple past and past participle called in sick)

1. To inform one's workplace or school that one temporarily cannot attend work or school due to illness.
   • 2005 December 2, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Friday, Dec 2, 2005:

     "It only overloaded because of how low the power was when I fired! The guns are constantly being recharged tonight, and you should've called in sick back then!" "IT'S HARD TO CALL IN SICK WHEN ALL YOU CAN SAY IS 'MEOW'!"

See also

• pull a sickie
• throw a sickie
• malinger

Further reading

• “call in sick” (US) / “call in sick” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “call in sick”, in Collins English Dictionary.