Synonyms of gross

gross 1 of 3

adjective

ˈgrōs 

1

as in obscene

depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society

he was thrown out of class for making a gross gesture

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obscene
• vulgar
• pornographic
• foul
• nasty
• dirty
• filthy
• unacceptable
• crude
• disgusting
• suggestive
• unpleasant
• blue
• indecent
• offensive
• coarse
• obnoxious
• naughty
• undesirable
• lascivious
• raunchy
• trashy
• lewd
• unwanted
• impure
• smutty
• abusive
• profane
• bawdy
• unprintable
• locker-room
• ribald
• wanton
• gutter
• broad
• stag
• porny
• infamous
• wicked
• repulsive
• X-rated
• revolting
• perverted
• low
• scatological
• soft
• salacious
• indelicate
• depraved
• repugnant
• off
• indecorous
• loathsome
• salty
• objectionable
• unbecoming
• unwelcome
• earthy
• abhorrent
• immodest
• gamy
• perverse
• coarse-grained
• racy
• kinky
• repellent
• barnyard
• distasteful
• risqué
• reprehensible
• atrocious
• exceptionable
• off-color
• censurable
• scurrilous
• blameworthy
• louche
• blamable
• debasing
• hard-core
• soft-core

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clean
• wholesome
• decent
• correct
• proper
• puritanical
• prudish
• acceptable
• respectable
• nice
• polite
• Victorian
• innocuous
• prim
• appropriate
• staid
• desirable
• decorous
• pleasant
• genteel
• inoffensive
• nonobscene
• priggish
• pure
• suitable
• agreeable
• G-rated
• welcome
• perfect
• meet
• pleasing
• becoming
• straitlaced
• seemly
• immaculate
• fit
• spotless
• virginal
• approved
• sanctioned
• endorsed

2

as in plump

having an excess of body fat

a very gross cat trying to squeeze through a small opening in the fence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plump
• fat
• full
• round
• fleshy
• thick
• obese
• overweight
• corpulent
• heavy
• blubbery
• chubby
• pudgy
• husky
• stout
• ripe
• lardy
• rotund
• tubby
• podgy
• replete
• portly
• soft
• roly-poly
• bulky
• plumpish
• dumpy
• beefy
• squat
• hefty
• flabby
• chunky
• stocky
• weighty
• thickset
• burly
• stubby
• brawny
• heavyset
• ample
• paunchy
• potbellied
• hippy
• buxom
• corn-fed
• zaftig
• endomorphic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• thin
• lean
• angular
• skinny
• bony
• slender
• spare
• skeletal
• gaunt
• slim
• slight
• lanky
• puny
• wasted
• sinewy
• haggard
• lank
• emaciated
• rawboned
• pinched
• cadaverous
• scrawny
• stringy
• weedy
• scraggy
• spindly
• reedy
• waspish
• svelte
• rangy
• willowy
• twiggy
• anorexic
• sylphlike
• spindling
• ectomorphic

3

as in crass

lacking in refinement or good taste

she haughtily refused to mix with what she called "the gross masses who are unappreciative of fine art"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crass
• vulgar
• rude
• crude
• common
• coarse
• rough
• clumsy
• low
• uncouth
• lowbrow
• tasteless
• uncultured
• unpolished
• unrefined
• rugged
• uncultivated
• raffish
• insensible
• rough-hewn
• illiberal
• incult
• ill-bred
• lowbred
• ungentlemanly
• clownish
• boorish
• roughneck
• indelicate
• unsophisticated
• rustic
• thoughtless
• insensitive
• lumpish
• churlish
• loutish
• inconsiderate
• cloddish
• oafish
• tacky
• lubberly
• provincial
• uncivilized
• inelegant
• barbaric
• barbarous
• countrified
• graceless
• unmannerly
• unmannered
• mannerless
• animallike

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smooth
• civilized
• tasteful
• polished
• cultured
• refined
• genteel
• aristocratic
• cultivated
• sensitive
• elegant
• graceful
• restrained
• patrician
• well-bred
• courtly
• ultrarefined
• gracious
• sophisticated
• thoughtful
• considerate
• urbane
• citified

4

as in blatant

very noticeable especially for being incorrect or bad

a gross mistake that some proofreader should have caught

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blatant
• obvious
• glaring
• egregious
• flagrant
• conspicuous
• striking
• pronounced
• terrible
• patent
• outstanding
• sheer
• noticeable
• distinct
• rank
• dramatic
• clear
• remarkable
• marked
• notable
• salient
• monstrous
• utter
• outright
• downright
• plain
• shocking
• showy
• evident
• prominent
• absolute
• emphatic
• shameful
• outrageous
• heinous
• abominable
• visible
• detectable
• awful
• discernible
• deplorable
• perceptible
• observable
• atrocious
• stark
• out-and-out
• splashy
• arrant
• eye-catching
• execrable
• preposterous
• arresting
• lousy
• wretched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inconspicuous
• imperceptible
• small
• insignificant
• unobtrusive
• trivial
• slight
• trifling
• inconsequential
• inconsiderable
• unnoticeable
• invisible
• hidden
• concealed

5

as in disgusting

causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment

the little boy insisted that worms are gross

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disgusting
• ugly
• horrible
• sickening
• awful
• hideous
• shocking
• obscene
• obnoxious
• offensive
• dreadful
• nasty
• unpleasant
• repulsive
• evil
• revolting
• appalling
• repugnant
• abominable
• gruesome
• loathsome
• horrid
• scandalous
• odious
• terrible
• abhorrent
• nauseating
• horrendous
• horrific
• repellent
• noxious
• distasteful
• foul
• nauseous
• rancid
• disturbing
• undesirable
• noisome
• fulsome
• vile
• unwanted
• monstrous
• objectionable
• hateful
• horrifying
• detestable
• disagreeable
• miserable
• grim
• unhealthy
• unwholesome
• contemptible
• heinous
• despicable
• sick
• unspeakable
• brackish
• ghastly
• grisly
• atrocious
• unwelcome
• macabre
• nightmarish
• exceptionable
• unsavory
• frightful
• sickly
• lurid
• execrable
• lousy
• uncivilized
• hard
• unholy
• ungodly
• dislikable
• barbarous
• upsetting
• sickish
• distressing
• unchristian
• off-putting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocuous
• acceptable
• attractive
• sweet
• desirable
• delicious
• inoffensive
• pleasant
• delightful
• appealing
• nice
• gratifying
• satisfying
• agreeable
• heavenly
• alluring
• dreamy
• welcome
• enjoyable
• delectable
• congenial
• palatable
• pleasurable
• luscious
• pleasing
• likable
• savory
• darling
• felicitous
• inviting
• unobjectionable
• blessed
• dulcet
• healthy
• unexceptionable
• wholesome
• healthful
• salutary
• salubrious
• delightsome
• restorative

gross

2 of 3

noun

1

as in total

Related Words

• total
• amount
• whole
• sum
• score
• count
• census
• recount
• tally
• tale

2

as in revenue

Related Words

• revenue
• receipts
• income
• profit
• earnings
• payoff
• net
• proceeds
• gain
• return
• winnings
• bag
• spoils
• booty
• appropriation
• yield
• swag
• plunder
• haul
• loot
• catch
• collection
• bounty
• take

Dissimilar Words

• loss
• deduction
• subtraction

gross

3 of 3

verb

as in to net

Related Words

• net
• realize
• gain
• pull down
• obtain
• attain
• capture
• earn
• reap
• draw
• acquire
• win
• achieve
• bring in
• land
• procure
• garner
• come by
• accomplish
• secure
• carry
• knock down
• accumulate
• clear
• make
• score
• bag
• get
• amass
• notch (up)
• occupy
• catch
• rack up
• take over
• pick up
• annex
• regain
• recapture
• remake
• reattain
• reacquire

Dissimilar Words

• lose
• pay
• forfeit
• give
• grant
• yield
• accord
• give up
• surrender
• relinquish
• hand over
• part (with)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gross different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gross are coarse, obscene, ribald, and vulgar. While all these words mean "offensive to good taste or morals," gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

When can coarse be used instead of gross?

The synonyms coarse and gross are sometimes interchangeable, but coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

Where would obscene be a reasonable alternative to gross?

Although the words obscene and gross have much in common, obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

When could ribald be used to replace gross?

The meanings of ribald and gross largely overlap; however, ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

When is it sensible to use vulgar instead of gross?

While in some cases nearly identical to gross, vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gross

Adjective

The motors are powered by a 65 kWh (net; 69 kWh gross) lithium-ion battery pack, which can DC fast-charge at up to 153 kW and should take a little less than 27 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent state of charge. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026

James Fish, a senior research analyst at Piper Sandler covering digital infrastructure, told Fortune that a hit to gross margin only drags down profitability if the growth stops adding gross profit dollars. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Noun

Big-budget films typically bring in around 40-45% of their total gross in the first weekend. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026

While recounting the slow death of her relationship, Rodrigo doesn’t shy away from the gross, the embarrassing or the vulnerable. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

Verb

The dinners sold out in minutes and will gross roughly $4 million, according to a separate report. — Shindy Chen, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026

The descriptions of dead bodies on the true crime podcasts gross me out, but to see it in person is something else entirely. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026

Phrases Containing gross

• gross out