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
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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
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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:
Galán declined to be interviewed for Carr’s documentary, having been thoroughly raked over the coals once the public’s visceral disgust with “The Swan” got it canceled after its second season.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
While all his experiences up to 2016 were instructive, they couldn’t buffer the shock and disgust of the backlash to his protest.
From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2026
A team of lab assistants spent months watching their reactions, coding facial expressions and scoring them against nine emotional behaviors: anger, disgust, happiness/amusement, contempt, sadness, embarrassment, fear, surprise and confusion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Tiffany Lynch, chair of the National Police Federation of England and Wales, said that for rank and file officers up and down the country it "feels personal" – "there is disgust, upset".
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
She smacked her lips in disgust and then pedaled after Juanita.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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
“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
He honestly disgusts me, and I’m glad to be free of him.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 26, 2023
This chore disgusts me, but I do it without complaining, afraid that if I don’t, the new family will send me away.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
These are just some of the reasons why Charlotte Howard, 52, from West Lavington, says she is "disgusted" by her own breasts.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
No wonder disgusted fans have protested both inside and outside Angel Stadium all summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Tristan Essex, whose grandmother, Jessie Stockdale, was one of the 35 bodies found at Legacy, said he was "absolutely disgusted" by the letter.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 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
“I can’t tell you how disgusted I am right now. At least don’t eat the floor. Or the chairs or tables. The walls might be the cleanest, up high.”
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
In a second post on his official governor of California X account, Newsom shared an article on the comments from the Los Angeles Times saying it was "disgusting and disqualifying".
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Jake Sykes, 33, similarly spoke of "disgusting" conditions as he left Lincoln Prison, after being sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for shoplifting.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“It was disgusting, and I looked around and I was like, ‘Wow.’
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
LSU coach Kim Mulkey’s attitude about this is disgusting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
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.
