# disgusting

/dɪsˈɡəstɪŋ/ (US) · /dɪsɡˈʌstɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/disgusting
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. gross or repulsive

adjective · CEFR A2

extremely unpleasant to see, smell, or taste, making you feel sick.

For teachers: eliciting a strong physical sense of revulsion or nausea.

- The smell of the old milk in the fridge was absolutely disgusting.
- The kitchen was in a disgusting state, with piles of unwashed plates and scraps of rotting food covering every surface.

### 2. morally wrong

adjective · CEFR B1

very bad or unfair in a way that makes you feel angry.

For teachers: arousing strong moral indignation or social disapproval.

- It is disgusting that some people have no home while others have so much.
- The CEO's decision to cut staff wages while increasing his own bonus was widely condemned as disgusting by the public.

## Examples

- The smell of the rotten milk was disgusting.
- The kitchen was in a disgusting state after the party, with old food and dirty plates everywhere.
- While some found the modern art installation thought-provoking, others dismissed it as disgusting, claiming it relied too heavily on shock value rather than genuine aesthetic merit.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.