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nauseous

[ naw-shuhs, -zee-uhs ]
/ ˈnɔ ʃəs, -zi əs /
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See synonyms for: nauseous / nauseousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
affected with nausea; nauseated: to feel nauseous.
causing nausea; sickening; nauseating: a nauseous smell.
disgusting; loathsome: a nauseous display of greed.
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Origin of nauseous

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

words often confused with nauseous

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 WORDS FROM nauseous

nau·seous·ly, adverbnau·seous·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH nauseous

nauseated, nauseous (see confusables note at the current entry)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nauseous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nauseous

nauseous
/ (ˈnɔːzɪəs, -sɪ-) /

adjective
feeling sick
causing nausea
distasteful to the mind or senses; repulsive

Derived forms of nauseous

nauseously, adverbnauseousness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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