disgusting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- disgustingly adjective
- disgustingness noun
Etymology
Origin of disgusting
Explanation
Something disgusting is awful in a way that makes you want to throw up — it's really, really yucky. Nobody likes disgusting things. Stepping in dog poo is disgusting — in other words, revolting and gross. Some people think spiders are disgusting; others find meatloaf disgusting; it just depends on what your tastes and tolerances are. If a politician is caught taking bribes, people say "That behavior is disgusting!" If your favorite team loses 20 games in a row, that might seem disgusting. Pretty much anything horrible, terrible, or nasty can be called disgusting.
Vocabulary lists containing disgusting
Ugh! Synonyms for "Gross"
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Ugh! Synonyms for "Gross"
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So Bad: Synonyms for "Awful"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She came to me after that scene, and she goes, “Sonny, in all my years in this business, that is the most vile, disgusting thing I’ve ever had to do.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: "It's disgusting to see these unscrupulous law firms taking advantage of people like this or taking advantage of a system like this."
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
“Imagine being accused of something you’re not doing, and something as disgusting as that. As if I’m some animal that can’t go to the bathroom.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
When David refuses, insisting on marrying his true love, the king demands a disgusting bride price.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
His tongue swipes my cheek, which is disgusting.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
