nauseate

verb

nau·​se·​ate ˈnȯ-zhē-ˌāt  -shē-  -zē- 

-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").

Synonyms of nauseate

• disgust
• repulse
• sicken
• appall
• horrify

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

The adulations heaped upon me at this point are getting nauseating. —Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026

The other day, Mosaku ordered chai at a coffee shop in Flatbush, feeling nauseated from the car ride over. —Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026

Woonsocket residents are suing the city over nauseating odors from a local sludge incinerator. —Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 3 Mar. 2026

As a father, the facts of this case are nauseating, and my heart continues to ache for Zona, who is gone from us far too soon. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for nauseate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

nauseate

verb

nau·​se·​ate ˈnȯ-zē-ˌ-āt  -sē-  -zhē- 

-shē-

nauseated; nauseating

: to affect or become affected with nausea or disgust

Medical Definition

nauseate

verb

nau·​se·​ate ˈnȯ-z(h)ē-ˌāt  -s(h)ē- 

nauseated; nauseating

intransitive verb

: to become affected with nausea

transitive verb

: to affect with nausea