nausea

noun

nau·​sea ˈnȯ-zē-ə  -sē-ə  ˈnȯ-zhə  -shə 

1

: a stomach distress with distaste for food and an urge to vomit

experienced nausea during the cruise to Bermuda

2

: extreme disgust

looked at the murder scene with growing nausea

nauseant

ˈnȯ-zhē-ənt  -shē-  -zē- 

-sē-

noun or adjective

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 nausea

• sickness

Examples of nausea in a Sentence

Some people experience nausea when flying.

A feeling of nausea suddenly came over me.

Recent Examples on the Web

Other early-onset symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the Mayo Clinic. —Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

Common symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and an altered mental state. —Sam Woodward, USA Today, 9 May 2026

Using misoprostol alone is usually effective about 90% of the time, Jensen said, but because patients would probably need to take more of the drug, there can be more side effects including nausea and vomiting, and uterine cramping can be more significant. —Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 May 2026

That includes coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes, difficulty breathing, congestion, itchy throat or nose, headaches, nausea, fatigue, asthma attacks and hay-fever-style allergic reactions. —Ryan Brennan may 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, seasickness, nausea, from Greek nautia, nausia, from nautēs sailor — more at nautical

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nausea

• anti-nausea

Kids Definition

nausea

noun

nau·​sea ˈnȯ-zē-ə  -sē-ə  ˈnȯ-zhə  -shə 

1

: a disturbed condition of the stomach in which one feels like vomiting

2

: extreme disgust

Etymology

from Latin nausea "seasickness, the stomach upset that causes an urge to vomit," from Greek nausia, nautia (same meaning), literally "ship sickness," from naus "ship" — related to astronaut, nautical, noise see Word History at noise

Word Origin

The ancient Greeks were a seagoing people, so seasickness was not rare for them. Their word for seasickness, nausia or nautia, came from their word for ship, naus. But nautia or nausia also meant the worst symptom of seasickness, the stomach upset and urge to vomit. Nausea, as we call this feeling in English, can be caused by something other than the motion of a ship. The ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans, who spoke Latin, needed only one word for both seasickness and the upset in the stomach. The Romans borrowed the Greek word, spelling it nausea in Latin. English took the word directly from Latin.

Medical Definition

nausea

noun

nau·​sea ˈnȯ-zē-ə  -sē-ə; ˈnȯ-zhə  -shə 

: a stomach distress with distaste for food and an urge to vomit