What does nauseate mean?
To nauseate is to make someone feel sick or overcome with disgust. In its literal sense, the word describes a reaction to something unpleasant, such as a foul odor, spoiled food, or motion. It also has a powerful figurative sense: a story, image, or action may nauseate people because they find it morally repugnant or deeply offensive. The expression is stronger and more formal than simply saying that something is disgusting, and it often conveys a reaction that is difficult to control. Nausea originally referred to seasickness, deriving from a Greek term associated with ships; the modern verb reflects that long association with physical and emotional revulsion. Understanding both meanings helps explain why people can say that an experience is so nauseating that it makes them feel ill.
verbTo make someone feel nausea or intense disgust and revulsion. It can describe a strong physical reaction, such as sickness, or a strong emotional response, such as moral outrage.
- To cause someone to feel sick, especially as a result of an unpleasant smell, food, or physical experience.
- To cause intense disgust or revulsion, especially on moral or emotional grounds.
"The graphic account of the abuse nauseated everyone in the room."
"The chemical smell made me nauseate before I reached the doorway."
"She was nauseated by the hypocrisy of the committee's announcement."
Nausea comes from a Greek word for seasickness: the original sensation was linked to the rolling of a ship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nauseate come from?
“Nausea” was borrowed into Latin from Greek, where the related word was associated with seasickness and ultimately with the word for ship. The English verb “nausear” and its later form “nauseate” were formed from “nausea” and came to mean “to cause nausea.” Over time, the verb came to describe both physical sickness and intense moral or emotional disgust.
Related word forms
How nauseate is actually used
The word is formal and strongly emphatic. It can be used literally for physical nausea and figuratively for moral or emotional disgust, often in contexts involving disturbing events, offensive language, or perceived hypocrisy.
Easily confused with nauseate
“Nausea” is the feeling of sickness, while “nauseate” is the verb meaning to cause that feeling or intense disgust.
“Nauseous” means experiencing nausea, whereas “nauseate” means causing nausea or disgust in someone else.