disgusting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
Furious Hearts head coach Derek McInnes said it was a "disgusting" decision.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
“That was the most disgusting inappropriate show. I had to make all of my children go into the next room!” wrote one traumatized Las Vegas viewer.
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
Many viewers will find the idea disgusting, along with some of the visuals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Sneaking out also requires some disgusting stuff—not brushing her teeth, peeing outside.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
