nauseous

[naw-shuhs, -zee-uhs]

adjective

1. affected with nausea; nauseated.

   to feel nauseous.

2. causing nausea; sickening; nauseating.

   a nauseous smell.

3. disgusting; loathsome.

   a nauseous display of greed.

   Synonyms: repulsive, despicable, detestable, abhorrent, repellent, nasty, nasty, revolting
   Antonyms: delightful

nauseous

/ ˈnɔːzɪəs, -sɪ- /

adjective

1. feeling sick

2. causing nausea

3. distasteful to the mind or senses; repulsive

Confusables Note

The two literal senses of nauseous, “affected with nausea” ( to feel nauseous ) and “causing nausea” ( a nauseous smell ), appear in English at almost the same time in the early 17th century, and both senses are in standard use at the present time. Nauseous is more common than nauseated in the sense “affected with nausea,” despite recent objections by those who imagine the sense to be new. In the sense “causing nausea,” either literally or figuratively, nauseating has become more common than nauseous : a nauseating smell.

Other Word Forms

• nauseously adverb
• nauseousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nauseous¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin nauseōsus; nausea, -ous

Example Sentences

The page was highlighted by the author Carolina Capria who posted online saying she felt "nauseous" and "scared" by what she saw.

From BBC

Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others and can feel nauseous, anxious and irritable, and get headaches even at lower doses.

From BBC

“My heart just sank in my stomach. I got nauseous,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

"I felt dizzy, nauseous and vomited," he said.

From BBC

She felt nauseous, dizzy, fatigued, a bit off balance and her eyesight started to be affected with black dots impairing her vision.

From BBC

When To Use

What does nauseous mean?

To be nauseous is to have nausea—to feel sick in your stomach, as if you might vomit. The word nauseated means the same thing.Nauseous can also mean the same thing as nauseating—causing nausea. However, nauseous is much less commonly used this way (despite the fact that some people insist that it’s the “proper” use of the word).The word nausea can also be used in a figurative way meaning a feeling of disgust, revulsion, or repulsion, and nauseous can be used to describe things that make people feel this way, meaning about the same thing as disgusting or loathsome. However, the word nauseating is more commonly used in a figurative context, as in Your linguistic pedantry is nauseating. Example: If you feel nauseous, try lying down and breathing through your nose.