gross
gross — adjective
1. describes the full amount of something such as money earned or goods produced, b
describes the full amount of something such as money earned or goods produced, before any costs, taxes, or other deductions are subtracted from it.
The company reported a gross profit of three million dollars before paying salaries and rent.
collocation: gross profit
Elena's gross income as a freelance translator was around seventy thousand dollars last year.
collocation: gross income
The gross weight of the shipment was five hundred kilograms before packing materials.
collocation: gross weight
Tanvi's gross salary is sixty thousand dollars before any deductions for tax or health insurance.
contrast: gross vs net implied
- gross profit
- gross income
- gross weight
- gross domestic product
- gross earnings
- net
the amount left after all deductions have been made
Grammar Patterns
gross + noun
Usage Note
Used only before a noun — you can say 'gross profit' but NOT 'the profit is gross' in this sense. The opposite is 'net' (after deductions).
Common Mistakes
2. extremely unpleasant and causing a strong feeling of disgust — for example, a gr
extremely unpleasant and causing a strong feeling of disgust — for example, a gross smell from a blocked drain or a gross habit like picking your nose in public.
Amani cleaned the kitchen sink and found something gross growing in the drain.
linking verb pattern: something + is + gross
The landlord warned the tenants not to leave gross garbage in the hallway overnight.
attributive: gross + noun
Mira refused to eat the fish because it had a gross texture and a strange smell.
The children screamed when they found a slimy, gross creature under the rock in the garden.
adjective order: slimy, gross creature
- gross smell
- gross habit
- gross food
- something looks gross
- something tastes gross
- disgusting
equally strong but slightly more formal than 'gross'
- revolting
stronger and more formal; suggests a violent reaction of disgust
- nasty
more general; can describe smells, tastes, or behaviour
- pleasant
general opposite for anything that causes a good feeling
Grammar Patterns
gross + noun
linking verb + gross
3. very rude and offensive, especially in a way that shows a lack of good manners,
very rude and offensive, especially in a way that shows a lack of good manners, taste, or respect for other people.
Faisal was sent home from school for making gross comments to the new teacher.
pattern: make + gross + noun
Caleb's grandmother left the comedy show because the jokes were too gross for her taste.
linking verb: jokes + were + gross
Minh's parents told him that his gross language would not be tolerated at the dinner table.
pattern: gross + noun (language)
Rania felt embarrassed by her colleague's gross remarks during the client meeting.
- gross joke
- gross comment
- gross behaviour
- gross language
Grammar Patterns
gross + noun
linking verb + gross
Usage Note
This sense focuses on behaviour or language that is socially inappropriate, whereas sense 2 (UNPLEASANT) focuses on things that cause physical disgust. 'Gross' here overlaps with 'vulgar' but is less formal.
Common Mistakes
4. said about a person or animal that you consider to be so overweight that they lo
said about a person or animal that you consider to be so overweight that they look unpleasant — this use is always intended as an insult.
The boy called the stray cat a gross old thing and threw a stone at it.
attributive: gross + noun for insult
A classmate made a gross remark about Aarav's size in front of everyone at lunch.
pattern: make + a gross remark about
Daichi's uncle called the neighbour's pig a gross animal and laughed at its shape.
The cartoon villain was drawn as a gross monster with green skin and a huge belly.
fictional context: gross monster
- gross creature
- gross remark about size
- gross old thing
Grammar Patterns
gross + noun
Usage Note
This sense is highly offensive and insulting when used about a person's body. Avoid using it in any polite or professional setting.
Common Mistakes
5. so obviously bad, wrong, or unfair that it shocks people and cannot be accepted,
so obviously bad, wrong, or unfair that it shocks people and cannot be accepted, especially when describing failures of duty, justice, or honesty.
The charity reported cases of gross injustice against families who had lost their homes.
collocation: gross injustice
Élise was dismissed for gross negligence after she left the laboratory freezer open overnight.
collocation: gross negligence
The judge described the company's safety record as a case of gross carelessness with workers' lives.
collocation: gross carelessness
Nia was shocked by the gross inequality between the rich neighbourhoods and the poor villages nearby.
collocation: gross inequality
- gross negligence
- gross injustice
- gross misconduct
- gross violation
- gross error
- minor
a small, unimportant mistake or issue
Grammar Patterns
gross + noun
Usage Note
Only used before a noun (e.g., 'gross misconduct', 'gross negligence'). Cannot be used after a linking verb — you cannot say 'the mistake was gross'. The noun names the type of wrongdoing.
Common Mistakes
gross — verb
1. when a film, business, or individual makes a certain sum of money from their act
when a film, business, or individual makes a certain sum of money from their activity before tax or other costs are subtracted from it.
The science fiction film grossed over nine hundred million dollars worldwide in its opening month.
pattern: film/project + grossed + amount
Hui grossed about fifty thousand dollars from her catering business during the summer festival season.
pattern: person + grossed + amount + from + source
The art exhibition grossed over two million dollars in ticket sales during its three-month run.
Lucía's online store grossed about thirty thousand dollars last holiday season selling handmade gifts.
pattern: business + grossed + amount
- grossed + amount
- grossed over
- film grossed
- business grossed
- net
to earn after deductions have been taken out
Grammar Patterns
gross + amount of money
Usage Note
The subject is usually a film, a business, or a person. The verb is always followed by an amount of money. 'Net' is the opposite — it tells you how much remained after costs.
Common Mistakes
gross — noun
1. a unit of measurement equal to 144 items, or twelve dozen, used mainly for count
a unit of measurement equal to 144 items, or twelve dozen, used mainly for counting or ordering things in large wholesale quantities.
The bakery ordered a gross of eggs — one hundred and forty-four — for the week's baking.
pattern: a gross of + noun
Ziad bought a gross of pencils for his tutoring centre for the new school year.
quantity: a gross of [items]
The button factory sells its products by the gross to large clothing manufacturers.
pattern: by the gross
Felix counted a gross of screws into each box before sending the shipment out.
- a gross of
- per gross
- sold by the gross
- 144
the numeric equivalent; more commonly used in most modern contexts
Grammar Patterns
a gross of + plural noun
Usage Note
This is an old unit of measurement, now used mostly in wholesale trade or in historical contexts. 'A gross of' means 12 dozen (144) of something.
2. the total amount of money that a person or business earns before taxes, costs, o
the total amount of money that a person or business earns before taxes, costs, or other deductions have been taken away from it.
Christopher's gross for the year was sixty-five thousand dollars, but his net after tax was much lower.
contrast: gross vs net
The accountant calculated the company's gross for the quarter before subtracting any operating expenses.
domain: financial calculation
Piotr's gross for the consulting project was fifteen thousand euros before travel costs.
Heather calculated her gross from freelance work at around forty thousand pounds for the financial year.
pattern: gross from [source]
- gross for the year
- company's gross
- gross of the business
- revenue
used for business income; more formal than 'gross'
- total earnings
clearer but longer; often used in tax documents
- net
the amount after all deductions have been taken out
Grammar Patterns
the gross
a gross of + amount
Usage Note
Commonly contrasted with 'net' in financial contexts. 'Gross' as a noun is often used in phrases like 'gross for the year' or 'the gross of the business'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- grosslyadverbC1
- grossnessnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
'Gross' and 'total' both refer to the full amount before any deductions, but 'gross' is more specific to financial and business contexts — you would say 'gross profit' or 'gross income' in accounting, while 'total' is broader and can apply to any sum ('total score', 'total number of people'). 'Overall' takes a wider view of a situation and is less precise about whether deductions have been made ('overall cost' includes everything, which may or may not be the same as the gross figure). 'Net' is the direct opposite of 'gross' — it refers to what remains after deductions. For example: 'The company's gross revenue was $10 million, but its net profit was only $2 million after expenses.' In everyday conversation, use 'total' for general sums and save 'gross' for professional financial contexts.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'gross' came into English through Old French 'gros', meaning 'large, thick, coarse', which itself came from Latin 'grossus' (thick, coarse). The original meaning of 'large' or 'coarse' gave rise to the negative senses (something coarse = rude, unpleasant, ugly) and also to the business sense (the 'large' or 'whole' amount before deductions). The noun sense of '144 items' comes from the French phrase 'grosse douzaine', meaning 'large dozen' — a dozen dozens.