gross

1 of 4

adjective

ˈgrōs 

1

a(1)

: glaringly noticeable usually because of inexcusable badness or objectionableness

a gross error

(2)

: out-and-out, utter

a gross injustice

b

: visible without the aid of a microscope

a gross lesion

c

archaic : immediately obvious

Now to all sense 'tis gross you love my son.

—William Shakespeare

2

a

: coarse in nature or behavior : unrefined

has gross table manners

b

: gravely deficient in civility or decency : crudely vulgar

merely gross, a scatological rather than a pornographic impropriety

—Aldous Huxley

c

informal : inspiring disgust or distaste

That sandwich looks gross.

3

a

: of, relating to, or dealing with general aspects or broad distinctions

a gross outline of the plan

b

: consisting of an overall total exclusive of deductions

gross income

compare net

4

a

: big, bulky

b

: growing or spreading with excessive luxuriance

a gross riot of vegetation

5

: made up of material or perceptible elements

6

: deficient in knowledge : ignorant, untutored

7

archaic : not fastidious in taste : undiscriminating

grossly adverb

grossness noun

gross

2 of 4

verb

grossed; grossing; grosses

transitive verb

: to earn or bring in (an overall total) exclusive of deductions (as for taxes or expenses)

The movie grossed over 100 million dollars.

grosser noun

gross

3 of 4

noun (1)

1

: overall total exclusive of deductions

The company's gross doubled in five years.

2

obsolete : amount, sum

gross

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural gross

: an aggregate of 12 dozen things

a gross of pencils

Synonyms

Adjective

• obscene
• vulgar
• pornographic
• foul
• nasty
• dirty
• filthy

Choose the Right Synonym for gross

coarse, vulgar, gross, obscene, ribald mean offensive to good taste or morals.

coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

flagrant, glaring, gross, rank mean conspicuously bad or objectionable.

flagrant applies usually to offenses or errors so bad that they can neither escape notice nor be condoned.

flagrant abuse of the office of president

glaring implies painful or damaging obtrusiveness of something that is conspicuously wrong, faulty, or improper.

glaring errors

gross implies the exceeding of reasonable or excusable limits.

gross carelessness

rank applies to what is openly and extremely objectionable and utterly condemned.

rank heresy

Examples of gross in a Sentence

Adjective

They have suffered a gross injustice.

She has a gross habit of chewing on the ends of her hair.

Verb

They grossed $50,000 before taxes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Audiences showed up for the trio of films, which grossed several billion dollars in total at the box office—but each entry was progressively more reviled by critics. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025

The box office total for 2025 so far is 15.5% higher than the $3.5 billion grossed at this point last year, according to Comscore data, thanks largely to a strong spring moviegoing season (April and May 2025 grossed 90% more than April and May 2024). —Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

Noun

Total domestic gross has a shot at hitting $160 million through its first 10 days in theaters, ranking it as the seventh-highest-grossing North American release of the year. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 21 June 2025

With the early closing notice, and bumpy grosses throughout its run, the show will likely exit Broadway without recouping. —Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English grosse, groce "large, thick, coarse, not in detail, plain," borrowed from Anglo-French gros, grosse "large, great, fat, pregnant, important, (of flour, salt) coarse" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin grossus "thick," "unripe," of uncertain origin

Note: The Latin adjective grossus occurs in some manuscripts of De re rustica by the Roman agricultural writer Columella (1st century a.d.), taking the place of, in other witnesses, crassus "thick" and crūdus "unripe." It is difficult to separate this word etymologically from the noun grossus (or grossa), used by agricultural writers and Pliny to refer to an unripe or abortive fig. As an adjective in a variety of senses, grossus has outcomes in nearly all the Romance languages and dialects.

Verb

derivative of gross entry 1, sense 3b

Noun (1)

Middle English in gros "in a body, in total" (after Anglo-French en gros) noun derivative of grosse, groce gross entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English gros, perhaps from in gros "in a body, in total" — more at gross entry 3

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gross

• gross anatomy
• gross domestic product
• gross national product
• gross out
• gross ton

Rhymes for gross

• dose
• gros
• rowse
• adios
• adipose
• amylose
• bellicose
• cellulose
• centavos
• comatose
• diagnose
• grandiose

Kids Definition

gross

1 of 4 adjective

ˈgrōs 

1

a

: very obvious : glaring

a gross error

b

: shameful sense 1

gross injustice

2

: big entry 1 sense 2a, bulky

especially : excessively fat

3

: consisting of a whole before any deductions

gross earnings

4

: coarse sense 5, vulgar

gross language

5

informal : causing disgust or distaste

grossly adverb

grossness noun

gross

2 of 4 noun

: a whole before any deductions

gross

3 of 4 verb

: to earn before deductions

grossed $50,000 before taxes

gross

4 of 4 noun

plural gross

: 12 dozen

a gross of pencils

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English gros, gross "large, thick, easy to see or understand," from early French gros "thick, coarse," from Latin grossus (same meaning)

Noun

Middle English gros "a group of 12 dozen," probably from early French grosse "sum, whole," derived from gros "thick"

Medical Definition

gross

adjective

ˈgrōs 

1

a

: glaringly or flagrantly obvious

b

: visible without the aid of a microscope : macroscopic

gross lesions

compare occult

2

: growing or spreading with excessive or abnormal luxuriance

3

: of, relating to, or dealing with general aspects or broad distinctions

important to understand the gross behavior of the sexually responding animal

—A. C. Kinsey

grossly adverb

Legal Definition

gross

1 of 3 adjective

ˈgrōs 

1

: flagrant or extreme especially in badness or offensiveness : of very blameworthy character

a gross violation of the rules of ethics

a gross abuse of trust

2

: consisting of an overall total exclusive of deductions

gross annual earnings

compare net

grossly adverb

grossness noun

gross

2 of 3 noun

: overall total exclusive of deductions

gross

3 of 3 transitive verb

: to earn or bring in (an overall total) exclusive of deductions (as for taxes or expenses)

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, immediately obvious, from Middle French gros thick, coarse, from Latin grossus

Biographical Definition

Gross

biographical name

ˈgrōs 

David J(onathan) 1941–     American physicist