disgusting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of disgusting
Explanation
Something disgusting is awful in a way that makes you want to throw up — it's really, really yucky. Nobody likes disgusting things. Stepping in dog poo is disgusting — in other words, revolting and gross. Some people think spiders are disgusting; others find meatloaf disgusting; it just depends on what your tastes and tolerances are. If a politician is caught taking bribes, people say "That behavior is disgusting!" If your favorite team loses 20 games in a row, that might seem disgusting. Pretty much anything horrible, terrible, or nasty can be called disgusting.
Vocabulary lists containing disgusting
Ugh! Synonyms for "Gross"
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Ugh! Synonyms for "Gross"
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So Bad: Synonyms for "Awful"
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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.
She said: "While sitting and chatting we realised the flints we were sitting on were extremely hot... some thoughtless, careless people had just buried three disposable BBQs which were still glowing red! Absolutely disgusting behaviour!"
From BBC • May 31, 2026
"For me, it's disgusting ... I don't want to see that. I love nature. I love life. Not things that bring death."
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” the president wrote at the time.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
It’s the cheapest, or the most lovably disgusting, and it couldn’t be replaced.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
“Of course. Otherwise you can’t make jumpshots. You just lie there and go beddy-bye and little nothing sister Mary Anne will hum lullabies until the hero makes disgusting snoring noises.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
