nauseate

American  

[naw-zee-eyt, -zhee-, -see-, -shee-] / ˈnɔ ziˌeɪt, -ʒi-, -si-, -ʃi- /

verb (used with object)

nauseated, nauseating

1. to affect with nausea; sicken.

   The overwhelming smell of boiled cabbage nauseated them.

2. to cause to feel extreme disgust.

   His vicious behavior toward the dogs nauseates me.

   Synonyms:

   revolt

   Antonyms:

   delight, attract

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verb (used without object)

nauseated, nauseating

1. to become affected with nausea.

nauseate British  

/ ˈnɔːzɪˌeɪt, -sɪ- /

verb

1. (tr) to arouse feelings of disgust or revulsion in

2. to feel or cause to feel sick

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Usage

What does nauseate mean? To nauseate means to cause nausea—a feeling of sickness in your stomach, as if you might vomit. The word nauseated is commonly used as an adjective to mean feeling nausea. The adjective nauseous is more commonly used to mean the same thing. The adjective nauseating means causing nausea (nauseous can also be used to mean this, but that’s much less common). The word nausea can also be used in a figurative way meaning a feeling of disgust, revulsion, or repulsion, and nauseate can mean to make someone feel this, meaning the same thing as the verb disgust, as in Their cruelty nauseates me. Much less commonly, nauseate can mean to become nauseous, as in I nauseate whenever I ride a rollercoaster. Example: I’m not sure what nauseated me more—the disgusting food or the server’s disgusting comments.

Other Word Forms

• nauseating adjective
• nauseatingly adverb
• nauseation noun

Etymology

Origin of nauseate

First recorded in 1630–40, nauseate is from the Latin word nauseātus (past participle of nauseāre “to be seasick”). See nausea, -ate ¹

Explanation

To nauseate one’s friends is to make them disgusted, sick to their stomachs, or ill. Generally this is best achieved by serving foul food or sharing someone’s deepest secrets with a sworn enemy. The first seafaring cultures were most likely Polynesian, but the Romans (who spoke Latin) came up with the word for seasickness that stuck: nausea. When the ocean is too rollicking, it’s likely to nauseate the ship’s passengers. There’s plenty more examples out there that can nauseate even the most hearty among us. Often just the thought of some culinary oddities can do the trick: oyster casserole, tripe, or fried crickets — just to name a few.

Example Sentences

But instead of ogling violence to exploit its evil and nauseate the audience, Lynch calls attention to the systems that propagate it.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2025

The sight of Stanton in pinstripes will delight and nauseate many.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2017

As team doctors administered triage, the broadcast danced between vantage points, carefully avoiding any shots that would further nauseate viewers.

From Slate • Oct. 19, 2017

The prerelease build of Obduction I tried in the Oculus Rift didn’t nauseate me, although it suffered from the occasional frame rate drop — one of the issues Cyan is still ironing out.

From The Verge • Sep. 10, 2016

Ifemelu was tired and her back throbbed and the salon had begun to nauseate her, with its stuffy air and rotting ceiling.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• horrify
• sicken