nauseate

verb

nau·​se·​ate ˈnȯ-zhē-ˌāt How to pronounce nauseate (audio) -shē- How to pronounce nauseate (audio) -zē- How to pronounce nauseate (audio)
-sē-
nauseated; nauseating

intransitive verb

1
: to become affected with nausea
2
: to feel disgust

transitive verb

: to affect with nausea or disgust

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one nauseous or nauseated?

Some usage guides have held that there should be a strict distinction between nauseous and nauseated, with the first word meaning "causing nausea or disgust" and the second one meaning "affected with nausea." However, nauseous has been in widespread enough use for both of these senses that this distinction is now quite blurred. Nauseous may mean either "causing nausea" or "affected with nausea"; nauseated, on the other hand, is restricted in meaning to "affected with nausea; feeling disgust."

What is the verb for nauseous?

The verb form of nauseous is nauseate, meaning "to affect with nausea or disgust." It comes from the Latin word meaning "seasickness, nausea," which itself may be traced back to the Greek word for "sailor" (nautēs).

Is nausea a noun?

Nausea is a noun, meaning "a stomach distress with distaste for food and an urge to vomit" or "extreme disgust." A number of other nouns are closely related in meaning, including nauseant ("something that causes nausea"), nauseousness ("an instance of nausea"), and nauseatingness ("the quality or state of being nauseating").

Examples of nauseate in a Sentence

The smell of gasoline nauseates me. It nauseated him to see the way the animals were treated.
Recent Examples on the Web Moving around while looking through the camera, I became nauseated again and had to remove the headset. Brian X. Chen, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 But that doesn’t give Rob the right to nauseate you. John Hodgman, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Following testimony on the issue, the air district’s hearing board approved a litany of requirements intended to address the polluted water and nauseating fumes. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 That seepage has fueled bacteria growth within the Sylmar landfill, giving rise to putrid odors that have nauseated students and staff at a local elementary school. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023 People may develop a rash, diarrhea or feel nauseated. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023 In the evening after his first hypnotherapy session, Zack felt nauseated but kept his dinner down. Kate Wheeling, The Atlantic, 29 Nov. 2023 The effect was connected to the way certain odors activate the brain’s insular cortex, which is what makes rancid food nauseating to us. Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 This can contribute to feeling bloated, gassy and nauseated. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nauseate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nauseate was in 1625

Dictionary Entries Near nauseate

Cite this Entry

“Nauseate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nauseate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nauseate

verb
nau·​se·​ate ˈnȯ-zē-ˌ-āt How to pronounce nauseate (audio) -sē- How to pronounce nauseate (audio) -zhē- How to pronounce nauseate (audio)
-shē-
nauseated; nauseating
: to affect or become affected with nausea or disgust

Medical Definition

nauseate

verb
nau·​se·​ate ˈnȯ-z(h)ē-ˌāt How to pronounce nauseate (audio) -s(h)ē- How to pronounce nauseate (audio)
nauseated; nauseating

intransitive verb

: to become affected with nausea

transitive verb

: to affect with nausea

More from Merriam-Webster on nauseate

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