Disgusting

/dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/ adjective

Definition

Extremely unpleasant, offensive, or repulsive; causing feelings of strong dislike or disgust.

Etymology

From French 'dégoûter,' from 'de-' (reverse) + 'goût' (taste), from Latin 'gustus.' The word literally meant 'to remove the taste' but evolved to mean any extreme revulsion.

Kelly Says

Disgust is actually an evolutionary survival mechanism—we feel disgusted by spoiled food, parasites, and disease because our ancestors who felt disgust survived longer, making 'disgusting' one of the oldest emotions encoded in language.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.