slightly OT-Nauseated vs Nauseous

[Dairyfreelife]

As an English grammar nut and someone who has seen this mistake many times on here and in life...

Nauseated-to feel sick, to feel nausea

I am nauseated means I have nausea,

Nauseous-to cause nausea

I am nauseous means I make people feel nausea or to cause to feel nausea.

So next time you are inclined to say you feel nauseous, remember you are saying you make people want to throw up.

You can say, the taste is nauseous. Nauseous can used to say the something is sickening to think about as well. However, it does not work grammatically to say that you feel so nauseous.

Just thought I'd be all proper and share the 'proper' way to use the terms. Not that people do not know what you really mean when you say 'i feel nauseous' of course, but just a little knowledge.

[wanted]

I read this a few months ago. It's good to know that because english is not my first language, but as I see, not many people know the difference. Thank you I'm also grammar nut (in my language haha).

[mdgirl1977]

lol I am a grammar nerd and I didn't know this. I say "I feel nauseous" because saying "I feel nauseated" sounds...odd.

[mrbleaney]

I'm no grammar expert, but there seems to be some debate about the correct usage of "nauseous." I hate to trot out the dictionary definition, but, in this instance, Merriam-Webster offers some insight: (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nauseous)


Full Definition of NAUSEOUS

1 : causing nausea or disgust : nauseating
2 : affected with nausea or disgust


Usage Discussion of NAUSEOUS

Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only in sense 1 and that in sense 2 it is an error for nauseated are mistaken. Current evidence shows these facts: nauseous is most frequently used to mean physically affected with nausea, usually after a linking verb such as feel or become; figurative use is quite a bit less frequent. Use of nauseous in sense 1 is much more often figurative than literal, and this use appears to be losing ground to nauseating. Nauseated is used more widely than nauseous in sense 2.


If this is correct, then using "nauseous" to mean you feel sick is widely acceptable. Language is fluid and constantly changing. What is proper by one standard may not be proper by another. Just thought I'd add another perspective; I mean no disrespect by it.

[mrbleaney]

I'm no grammar expert, but there seems to be some debate about the correct usage of "nauseous." I hate to trot out the dictionary definition, but, in this instance, Merriam-Webster offers some insight: (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nauseous)


Full Definition of NAUSEOUS

1 : causing nausea or disgust : nauseating
2 : affected with nausea or disgust


Usage Discussion of NAUSEOUS

Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only in sense 1 and that in sense 2 it is an error for nauseated are mistaken. Current evidence shows these facts: nauseous is most frequently used to mean physically affected with nausea, usually after a linking verb such as feel or become; figurative use is quite a bit less frequent. Use of nauseous in sense 1 is much more often figurative than literal, and this use appears to be losing ground to nauseating. Nauseated is used more widely than nauseous in sense 2.


If this is correct, then using "nauseous" to mean you feel sick is widely acceptable. Language is fluid and constantly changing. What is proper by one standard may not be proper by another. Just thought I'd add another perspective; I mean no disrespect by it.

[mrbleaney]

For sure, I'm no grammar expert, but there seems to be some debate about the correct usage of "nauseous." I hate to trot out the dictionary definition, but, in this instance, Merriam-Webster offers some insight (I don't think I can post the link without moderator approval, but it can be easily found through Google):


Full Definition of NAUSEOUS

1 : causing nausea or disgust : nauseating
2 : affected with nausea or disgust

Usage Discussion of NAUSEOUS

Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only in sense 1 and that in sense 2 it is an error for nauseated are mistaken. Current evidence shows these facts: nauseous is most frequently used to mean physically affected with nausea, usually after a linking verb such as feel or become; figurative use is quite a bit less frequent. Use of nauseous in sense 1 is much more often figurative than literal, and this use appears to be losing ground to nauseating. Nauseated is used more widely than nauseous in sense 2.


If this is correct, then using "nauseous" to mean you feel sick is still acceptable. Language is fluid and constantly changing. What is proper by one standard may not be proper by another. Just thought I'd add another perspective; I mean no disrespect by it.

[Dairyfreelife]

For sure, I'm no grammar expert, but there seems to be some debate about the correct usage of "nauseous." I hate to trot out the dictionary definition, but, in this instance, Merriam-Webster offers some insight (I don't think I can post the link without moderator approval, but it can be easily found through Google):


Full Definition of NAUSEOUS

1 : causing nausea or disgust : nauseating
2 : affected with nausea or disgust

Usage Discussion of NAUSEOUS

Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only in sense 1 and that in sense 2 it is an error for nauseated are mistaken. Current evidence shows these facts: nauseous is most frequently used to mean physically affected with nausea, usually after a linking verb such as feel or become; figurative use is quite a bit less frequent. Use of nauseous in sense 1 is much more often figurative than literal, and this use appears to be losing ground to nauseating. Nauseated is used more widely than nauseous in sense 2.


If this is correct, then using "nauseous" to mean you feel sick is still acceptable. Language is fluid and constantly changing. What is proper by one standard may not be proper by another. Just thought I'd add another perspective; I mean no disrespect by it.

Yes, which is why I said the majority of people will not be confused when someone says they are nauseous. Technically, properly, it was meant to mean causing nausea. Some people still insist that definition is correct, which is why I think people should be aware of the original definition of nauseous.

Yes, it changes, but some people do not see saying 'i am nauseous' as proper grammar. Nothing wrong with making people aware of that fact. Many people are not aware that the main and original definition is to cause nausea or disgust. Many people just the reverse terms. You nauseate me. Instead of saying, you make me nauseous. I feel nauseous. Instead of saying, I am nauseated.

[mrbleaney]

There's an informative AMA Style Insider blog post about the nauseous vs. nauseated debate from May of 2011, but I can't post the link without moderator approval. I won't reproduce it in its entirety, but it appears that the original usage of "nauseous" may not have been "to cause nausea or disgust":


"Despite the pronouncements of some prescriptive grammarians promoting the idea that nauseous, when used to mean “feeling the effects of nausea,” is yet another example of a weed newly sprung up in the garden of educated usage, it appears that the term was used in that sense as early as 1604. What is more, it was likely not used to mean “causing nausea” until 1612 or later. At some point, the rule was set forth dictating that nauseous should be used to indicate causing nausea and nauseated to indicate the subjective feeling of nausea—a rule that for the most part held sway until the mid-20th century, when nauseous once again began to be used by persons describing how they feel." ("Are You Nauseous or Nauseated?")


The blog post concludes that while it is common for people to use "nauseous" when speaking to describe the subjective state of feeling nausea, "nauseated" is the preferred term when writing. I got the sense that the kind of writing referred to was professional writing, so I'm not sure where forum posts would fall in that regard, as they are often written informally, as one would speak (this reply, notwithstanding). Anyway, food for thought.

[Dairyfreelife]

Once again I said no one will be confused on what a person is saying here. Grammatically correct is the point. Many people are unaware that it's usage and exact origins can be debated of any word but the definition up until recently did and still does via many dictionaries mean to cause nausea. Still not going to confuse people here when someone says they are nauseous. We know what they mean. I hear people where I live say I bath-ed the dog instead as bathe-d the dog or they we was going to the store. All the time. Is it perfectly correct? No. But still get the meaning.
Language sticklers will hold true to the definitions I gave for nauseous vs nauseated. Since I see it here often I thought I'd make a post about it.

Also I'm sorry about lack of commas. Can't get key to work. Boo.

[Mamafear]

I am really in to adhering to the correct usage of English when I'm doing my own thing but most of my family isn't and I'm deeply uncomfortable pointing it out so instead, I try to blend in. In saying that, I didn't know the nauseated-nauseous thing until I saw you'd written it on a previous thread.

[KaydeeJayde]

THANK you, dairyfreelife!! I love this thread. I always have a little bit of a grammar nerd eye-roll when people say that they're 'nauseous' when they mean 'nauseated'! Not that it's their fault, probably they've just been taught wrong, but ergh.

[mrbleaney]

As far as I can tell, both "nauseous" and "nauseated" are grammatically correct when describing being affected with nausea. "Nauseated" was first used for this definition as early as the 1750s and exclusively for the next century, until "nauseous" also took on the same definition in the late 19th century. "Nauseated" was the more widely used term, until the mid-to-late 20th century, when "nauseous" became more common to describe feeling sick.

If someone can point me to evidence that one of these words is more proper than the other, or that "nauseous" is somehow wrong in this context, I'd be happy to walk back my position. But I think this just all boils down to what word you personally prefer, at least in an informal setting.

[Dairyfreelife]

You are misunderstanding common usage with correct usage. Nauseous means to cause to make sick. Nauseated means feeling sick. That's the traditional way it is spoken and any grammar stickler will disagree with the interchangeability of the words. For the, I dunno how many times, no one is going to begrudge someone or be confused to hear someone use the first time as the second. It is used both ways anymore, but Merriam-Webster has ain't in their dictionary, so, yeah. And again, I thought it would be good to bring it up before someone else tells them they are wrong to say such things. Usage guides will agree with me on this. And AMA guide is the American Medical Association guide. Don't know much about it, but there are many different guides people use in their education and professions. I know MLA, AP, and Chicago Style. I hear people say the term legit all the time anymore. And for things were the shortened version of legitimate would not fit. I imagine it will get a new definition in the dictionary soon enough too. Head meets desk.

http://www.grammarerrors.com/word-ch...eousnauseated/
http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/book.html
http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nauseated.html

Most important thing to remember is that nauseous is an adjective while nauseated is a verb.
Informally, no one does care much about the difference, yes, but I believe it is important to know a number of higher ups will see it as I have said. Many people are unaware of the traditional definition of nauseous and nauseated and use them the other way around.

I avoid the whole thing, I think it's easier to just say you feel sick or sick to your stomach specifically. Not even traditionalists will stick their nose up on that meaning.

More things people get confused about grammatically...
Fewer vs Less
It's vs Its
Your vs You're
Their vs There vs They're
Two vs Too vs To
Who vs Whom
Emigrate vs Immigrate
Effect vs Affect
Whether vs Weather
Lie vs Lay
Sit vs Set
Me, Myself, and I-Me or I
Use to vs Used to-it's always Used to. Use to is not correct at all.
Neither/Either and Nor/Or-Neither/nor and Either/or.
Then vs Than
Loose vs Lose
Complement vs Compliment
Could of/Should of/Would of-never use in any proper setting. 've should be used at the end instead. Could've
Principal vs Principle
Historic vs Historical
Which vs That vs Witch
Moot
Envy vs Jealousy
Farther vs Further
Since vs Because
May vs Might
Irony and Coincedence
Bring vs Take
i.e vs e.g
Alot vs A lot vs Allot-hint, alot is not a word.
Adviser vs Advisor
Allusion vs Illusion
Aisle vs Isle
Capital vs Capitol
And I could go on and on. Many are very basic. I actually taught first and second graders the difference with some, but yet, many people still do not know the difference as adults. Others are just confusing in general.

[MaybeBaby]

It's one of those things I just let slide. I say nauseated, but it's just one of those things that almost everyone else says.

[jmoore10]

That's really interesting! I'm kind of a language/grammar nerd and never knew this.
Although because I'm lazy, I abbreviate on the boards to just say n.....problem solved