disgusting

disgusting — adjective

1. so unpleasant that it makes you feel a very strong sense of dislike, often as if

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

so unpleasant that it makes you feel a very strong sense of dislike, often as if you want to be sick or feel angry — used about bad smells, tastes, sights, or about actions that are morally wrong.

Example

The smell from the old kitchen was so disgusting that Hugo had to leave the room.

so + adjective + that-clause

Kwame found it disgusting to see so much good food being thrown away each day.

find it + adjective + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • absolutely disgusting
  • utterly disgusting
  • something is disgusting to someone
  • find something disgusting
  • disgusting smell/taste/habit/behaviour/remark
  • so disgusting that
Synonyms
  • revolting

    even stronger emphasis on physical sickness or repulsion

  • appalling

    more about moral shock than physical disgust

  • foul

    more specific to bad smells or tastes, also means very dirty

  • nasty

    less strong, can mean simply unkind or unpleasant

Antonyms
  • delightful

    pleasant and enjoyable in a way that makes you feel good

  • pleasing

    giving a feeling of satisfaction or happiness

Usage Note

Can describe both physical unpleasantness (smells, tastes, sights) and moral outrage (behaviour, attitudes, actions). Stronger than 'unpleasant' or 'nasty' — implies a feeling of near-sickness or deep shock.

Common Mistakes

I was disgusting by the smell.
I was disgusted by the smell.
'disgusting' describes the thing that causes the feeling; 'disgusted' describes how you feel about it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something very unpleasant, but they highlight different kinds of badness. 'Disgusting' covers both physical repulsion and moral outrage — the widest range of the group. 'Revolting' leans toward physical sickness (a revolting meal, a revolting smell). 'Appalling' is used more for moral shock (appalling cruelty, appalling ignorance) and can imply something is so bad it shocks you. 'Foul' is usually about bad smells, tastes, or dirty conditions (foul water, foul air), and in British English can also mean 'very bad-tempered' (in a foul mood). 'Nasty' is the weakest of the four — it can mean unpleasant, unkind, or dangerous, but does not carry the same intensity. For example: 'The kitchen was disgusting' suggests you cannot bear to be in it; 'The kitchen was nasty' might just mean it was messy or dirty.

revoltingappallingfoul ↗nasty ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • so disgusting that
  • find something disgusting
  • something disgusting about

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from the verb 'disgust', which entered English in the early 1600s via French 'desgouster', meaning 'to lose one's appetite'. The French word was built from 'des-' (expressing reversal) and 'gouster' (to taste), from Latin 'gustare' (to taste). So the original idea was literally 'to cause a bad taste in the mouth'. Over time, the meaning broadened from physical bad taste to anything that causes strong dislike or moral revulsion.