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nauseous

adjective
nau·​seous | \ ˈnȯ-shəs How to pronounce nauseous (audio) , ˈnȯ-zē-əs How to pronounce nauseous (audio) \

Definition of nauseous

1 : causing nausea or disgust : nauseating the nauseous smell of rotting garbage
2 : affected with nausea or disgust When the medication makes her tired and nauseous, she works at home instead of going to the office.— Jane E. Brody
Other Words from nauseous Synonyms Nauseous vs. Nauseated: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about nauseous

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Other Words from nauseous

nauseously adverb
nauseousness noun

Nauseous vs. Nauseated: Usage Guide

Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only to mean "causing nausea" and that its later "affected with nausea" meaning is an error for nauseated are mistaken. Current evidence shows these facts: nauseous is most frequently used to mean physically affected with nausea, usually after a linking verb such as feel or become; figurative use is quite a bit less frequent. Use of nauseous to mean "causing nausea or disgust" is much more often figurative than literal, and this use appears to be losing ground to nauseating. Nauseated is used more widely than nauseous when referring to being affected with nausea.

Examples of nauseous in a Sentence

Instead what they do is all sit together and feel really bad, and pray. Nobody does anything as nauseous as try to make everybody all pray together or pray aloud or anything, but you can tell what they're doing. — David Foster Wallace, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2001 She looked slightly nauseous, as though she had just watched someone being sick. However, when she drew out her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch, her hand was quite steady. — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Freeman immediately checked on Realmuto, who stayed in the game but exited an inning later, feeling nauseous. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "J.T. Realmuto emerges as rock among Phillies' stars: 'His toughness is already legendary'," 19 June 2019 Children at Isbell Elementary School got headaches, sore throats and began to feel nauseous, forcing the Frisco school to be evacuated. — Paul Cobler, Dallas News, "Frisco officials, residents go after asphalt plant with complaint history, urge state not to renew permit," 3 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nauseous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of nauseous

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for nauseous

see nausea

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More Definitions for nauseous

nauseous

adjective
How to pronounce nauseous (audio) How to pronounce nauseous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of nauseous

: feeling like you are about to vomit
: causing you to feel like you are going to vomit
: causing disgust

See the full definition for nauseous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nauseous

adjective
nau·​seous | \ ˈnȯ-shəs How to pronounce nauseous (audio) , ˈnȯ-zē-əs\

Kids Definition of nauseous

1 : suffering from nausea
2 : causing nausea a nauseous smell

nauseous

adjective
nau·​seous | \ ˈnȯ-shəs How to pronounce nauseous (audio) , ˈnȯ-zē-əs How to pronounce nauseous (audio) \

Medical Definition of nauseous

1 : causing nausea
2

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