disgust
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disgusts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disgusted,
past participle, past
-
disgusting
present participle
noun
-
repugnance caused by something offensive; strong aversion.
He left the room in disgust.
- Synonyms:
- antipathy, detestation, abhorrence
- Antonyms:
- relish
verb
-
to sicken or fill with loathing
-
to offend the moral sense, principles, or taste of
noun
-
a great loathing or distaste aroused by someone or something
-
as a result of disgust
Synonym Usage
See dislike.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disgustednessnoun
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predisgustnoun
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self-disgustnoun
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quasi-disgustedadjective
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undisgustedadjective
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disgustedlyadverb
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quasi-disgustedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disgustsimple
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disgustssimple
-
have disgustedperfect
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has disgustedperfect
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am disgustingprogressive
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are disgustingprogressive
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is disgustingprogressive
-
have been disgustingperfect progressive
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has been disgustingperfect progressive
Past
-
disgustedsimple
-
had disgustedperfect
-
was disgustingprogressive
-
were disgustingprogressive
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had been disgustingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disgust
First recorded in 1590–1600; (for the verb) from Middle French desgouster, from des- dis- 1 + gouster “to taste, relish” (derivative of goust “taste,” from Latin gusta; see also choose); noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
Disgust is a strong feeling of dislike. If you can't stand peas, you might wrinkle your nose in disgust when you are served a bowl of pea soup. Disgust is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it's a reaction to something you think is gross or terrible, like showing your disgust at a movie by getting up and leaving. As a verb, disgust means "to offend," like when your class's bad behavior at the assembly disgusts all the teachers, or "to gross out or revolt." If you pick your nose in public, you will disgust everyone around you.
Vocabulary lists containing disgust
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Emotions on Display
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many online reacted with disgust to his video, which was reposted on a community page and picked up by local news outlets.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
“I hope they put those people who killed him in prison for many years,” he said with disgust.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
"I'm aware the vast majority of farmers dispose of fallen livestock responsibly and many share my disgust, but this is wrong and we need to see people apprehended for it", he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Gonzalez Rogers held the statue with mock, or perhaps real, disgust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Belhib could be heard cracking his jaw in disgust.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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She later said: "He knew exactly what he was doing. He stripped all dignity from our loved ones, and for what? Money? He disgusts me."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Last year’s film kind of disgusts me a little bit when I look at myself,” Thibodeaux said.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2023
“It saddens me, it disgusts me and disheartens me,” Alvarez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2023
“It really disgusts me,” said Romain Le Riguer, a 20-year-old literature student, who had spontaneously come to the plaza.
From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
“Your sitzpinkling disgusts me,” Hassan said, but he gave the Hearse some extra gas and shot past the exit.
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
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If you’re not disgusted by this devolution in protocol, I’m not sure what can possibly disgust you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned about a growing parasitic outbreak that causes explosive diarrhea, which has delighted and disgusted the internet, because of course it has.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
She argues that Richmond, alienated from the king and disgusted by parliamentary passivity, kindled a printed firestorm in the public sphere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "angry", "appalled" and "disgusted" that Jewish people were "living their lives frightened".
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
And you act like you’re disgusted, because you don’t like meanness.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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“Just disgusting behavior by an anonymous account,” Chuck Todd, a former Meet the Press moderator, wrote of the post that mentioned Holmes’ children.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
The second got more personal: “Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question,” it read.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
"Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting," Huckabee wrote on X on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
X user @BlackPanthaa called the new Xbox Series S price, external "absolutely disgusting", while a Reddit user said, external it was "highway robbery for a console released 6 years ago".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
"After a while you never notice anything disgusting."
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.