”Nauseous” vs. “nauseated:” what’s the difference?

What do “nauseous” and “nauseated” mean?

Originally, “nauseous” referred to something causing disgust, like rotting garbage. However, people now typically use the word “nauseous” when describing the feeling those things evoke. Most dictionaries have added this meaning as a secondary definition of the word.

Similarly, “nauseated” means feeling disgusted or sickly. The word comes from the verb “nauseate,” a verb meaning to cause disgust. By adding “ed” to the end of the word, “nauseate” becomes a participle indicating something has caused you to feel sick.

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How to use “nauseous” vs. “nauseated” correctly

If you’re writing or talking about something that evokes the feeling of nausea, like spoiled milk or smelly garbage, use the word “nauseous.” When writing about the feeling of nausea, you can use “nauseous” and “nauseated” interchangeably.

Although nauseated is technically the correct word for the feeling of nausea, words often take on new meanings over time. When used to indicate the feeling of sickness, “nauseous” is usually used as an adjective followed by a verb like “feel,” “be,” or “become,” like in the sentence: “The meal made me feel nauseous.” Because this way of using the word “nauseous” has become widespread, including in newspapers and books, you may be able to use it interchangeably. When in doubt, check your preferred style guide to find out what they recommend.

Using “nauseous” and “nauseated” in sentence

Whether you choose to use “nauseous” or “nauseated” in your writing, you should use them properly. These examples show how to use the words correctly in a sentence:

• “Dinner at the seafood restaurant made Maria feel nauseous the next morning.”
• “While taking out the trash, the man was nauseated by the smell of the dumpster.”
• “Even the sight of the curdled milk was nauseating.”

How to spell and pronounce “nausea”

Variations of the word “nausea,” including “nauseous” and “nauseated” can be tricky to say and even more difficult to spell correctly. These words consist primarily of vowels, which can make it challenging to sound out correctly.

The most common way to pronounce “nausea” is either NAW-zee-uh or NAW-zhuh, where the second syllable sounds like the “s” in “pressure.” These pronunciations can be applied to all forms of the word. When it comes to remembering how to spell the word, think of how many people feel seasick on a boat—the second half of the word “nausea” contains the word “sea.” When in doubt, don’t be afraid to use spell check while writing; even the most experienced writers can use a proofreader from time to time.