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to gross out

to gross out

14 7.3
Make someone feel disgusted or sick
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡroʊs aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : dar asco
  • Don't gross out me with those disgusting stories!
  • get grossed out
  • totally grossed out
  • completely grossed out

I'm just tired and frankly grossed out by James.

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Examples

  • He was grossed out when he saw the moldy bread.

  • Mom's going to be really grossed out when she hears about this.

  • Some people would be grossed out by that.

  • Is she grossed out by me?

  • I am really grossed out by some of the comments people have made on here.

    Blog text (6)
  • Mike was thoroughly grossed out.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I'm just tired and frankly grossed out by James.

  • Austin and Basil are confused and grossed out at the same time.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • But some people are grossed out by the vulture's habit of eating carrion.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The judges at Doritos don't want people to be grossed out by Doritos.

    Blog text (30)

Synonyms

to horrify
vsto gross out
90 4.3

Make someone feel very shocked, afraid, or disgusted

focuses more on disgust and physical nausea rather than shock or fear
to disgust
vsto gross out
83 2.1

To make someone feel strong dislike and sick because something is offensive

is often more physical and sickening rather than formal disapproval
to revolt
vsto gross out
29 5.3

Make someone feel strong disgust or moral horror

is felt more as general physical disgust rather than chiefly moral outrage
to sicken
vsto gross out
27 4.3

Make someone feel disgusted or shocked by bad actions

is more about physical disgust or sickness than moral offence
to repel
vsto gross out
5 5.1

Cause someone to feel strong dislike or disgust

causes a stronger clearer feeling of disgust or physical sickness
to nauseate
vsto gross out
3 6.9

To make someone feel sick or disgusted

causes disgust sometimes without physical sickness

Antonyms

48 1.0

To enjoy something very much

How Disgusting

to revolt
29 5.3
to sicken
11 4.1
to gross out
  • Informal
14 7.3
to put off
22 3.7

Surface Forms

gross out infinitive
grossed out past participle
grossing out present participle
grosses out third person singular

Morphology

gross + out

The adjective 'gross' means 'disgusting' and the particle 'out' here functions as a resultative/causative marker, so the verb 'gross out' transparently means 'cause to feel disgusted.' This compositional pattern (adjective + particle = cause someone to become adjective) is regular in English and should be inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Gross out comes from the word gross meaning 'disgusting' and the word out, which gives the idea of being pushed away. Imagine seeing something so yucky you turn away or feel sick; that's why it means 'to make someone feel disgusted'.