What does disgustedly mean?
Disgustedly is an adverb describing an action performed while feeling or expressing disgust — a powerful sense of dislike, distaste, or revulsion. It typically modifies verbs of speaking, looking, or moving: a character might mutter disgustedly, stare disgustedly at a mess, or turn away disgustedly from spoiled food. The word conveys more than mild displeasure; it signals genuine repugnance, often visible in facial expression or audible in tone. Derived from 'disgust', which entered English in the late sixteenth century via French from Latin roots meaning 'bad taste', it carries that metaphor of something literally tasting foul. Disgustedly appears frequently in fiction and journalism to dramatise reactions efficiently, packing emotion into a single modifier. While slightly literary in flavour compared to plain phrases like 'with disgust', it is fully standard in both British and American English and remains a vivid, economical choice for writers.
adverbIn a manner showing strong dislike or revulsion; with an expression or tone of disgust.
- With a feeling or expression of strong dislike, distaste, or revulsion.
"She pushed the plate away and glanced disgustedly at the mouldy bread."
"He wrinkled his nose and looked disgustedly at the overflowing bin."
"'I've had quite enough of this,' she said disgustedly, closing the report."
Disgustedly packs a Latin root meaning 'bad taste' into four syllables — every time you use it, you're literally saying something left a bad taste in your mouth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disgustedly
Disgustedly is formed by adding the adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'disgusted', itself the past participle of 'disgust'. The verb 'disgust' entered English in the late sixteenth century from French 'dégoût(er)', ultimately deriving from Latin 'dis-' (apart, away) and 'gustus' (taste), so its original sense was literally 'to taste bad'. Related words sharing the gust- root include 'gusto' and 'disgusting'.
How disgustedly is actually used
Disgustedly is a neutral-register adverb common in narrative fiction to convey both speech and physical reaction. It is somewhat more formal than alternatives like 'with disgust' in some contexts but entirely standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with disgustedly
"Discussedly" is not a standard English word; "disgustedly" derives from disgust, meaning strong aversion, whereas any confusion arises only from similar-looking spelling.