# nauseous

/ˈnɔʃəs/ (US) · /nˈɔːsɪəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/nauseous
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. feeling sick

adjective · CEFR B2

feeling like you are about to vomit or have an upset stomach.

For teachers: experiencing a sensation of stomach distress and the urge to vomit.

- The smell of the old fish made her feel nauseous immediately.
- After the turbulent flight, several passengers reported feeling nauseous and requested water from the cabin crew.

Usage: In modern usage, this is the most common sense, though some traditionalists prefer 'nauseated' for the feeling and 'nauseous' for the cause.

### 2. causing sickness

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describing something so disgusting or unpleasant that it makes people feel sick.

For teachers: inducing a feeling of nausea; sickening or loathsome in nature.

- The nauseous smell of the chemicals filled the entire factory floor.
- The documentary detailed the nauseous conditions of the nineteenth-century slums, shocking the modern audience with its graphic descriptions.

Teaching tip: While this is the original historical meaning, many modern speakers now use 'nauseating' for this sense and reserve 'nauseous' for the feeling of being sick.

## Examples

- The smell of the old fish made me feel nauseous.
- She began to feel nauseous as the small boat rocked back and forth in the rough waves.
- The patient reported feeling increasingly nauseous following the administration of the new medication, though the sensation usually subsided within an hour.

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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.