nauseous

American  

[naw-shuhs, -zee-uhs] / ˈnɔ ʃəs, -zi əs /

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, revolting

   Antonyms:

   delightful

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nauseous British  

/ ˈnɔːzɪəs, -sɪ- /

adjective

1. feeling sick

2. causing nausea

3. distasteful to the mind or senses; repulsive

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Usage

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.

Commonly Confused

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

Etymology

Origin of nauseous

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

Explanation

If you’re nauseous, you feel queasy and sick to your stomach, and you might feel like vomiting. Could be the stomach flu or too much food before that roller-coaster ride. Nauseous comes from the Latin word nausea, which means "seasickness." That's certainly one reason for getting nauseous, but we don't limit this word to the seafaring world anymore. Not only do we use this adjective when we're feeling queasy, but we also use it to describe whatever is making us feel queasy. A smell that turns your stomach is a nauseous smell. We also use nauseous figuratively when we're "grossed out" by someone who's overly romantic or self-involved.

Example Sentences

Aminu said the herbalist rubbed some of the mixture on his foot, where he had been bitten, and he was told to drink the rest with the warning that it would make him feel nauseous.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

She said there was no air conditioning in the van and she became nauseous and started to experience hypertension symptoms.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026

Fifty-six years ago today I was a nauseous pregnant bride in a Las Vegas roadside wedding chapel with Francis and eight members of our families.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

Without it, her heart rate was all over the place, she recalls: “I was dizzy all the time. I was nauseous all the time. I was constantly on the verge of fainting.”

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

When she was smaller, Pia would sniff the pages, and once—when the salon was really backed up—she sniffed and sniffed until the strange mixture of glue, ink, and flowers made her nauseous.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds