How to Use Nauseated and Nauseous Correctly

Tricky word pairs are the bane of the English language, and they sometimes seem to be everywhere. From homophones to idiomatic word versions, tricky word pairs can be very challenging for new writers. In the case of "nauseated" and "nauseous", the challenge comes from the actual evolution of the word.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. "Nauseated" is used to describe a condition. For example, "I was feeling nauseated." You could also use it as a past tense verb: "The flowers nauseated me."

2. Use "nauseous" as an adjective. For example, in "The nauseous flowers gave off a sickening scent." The word nauseous describes the flowers.

3. Use nauseous to describe how you are feeling. If you tell a doctor you're feeling "nauseous," the word ending implies that it is a condition that you have, a way of feeling with the same word function as "sickly." In traditional English, "nauseated" was used for a condition as in Step 1. As the language evolved, people began to say "nauseous," possibly just to shorten the word. Precedents like "cautious" or "ambitious" probably made it easier to use the word "nauseous" as a condition or adjective.

4. When in Rome, do as the Romans. The British, as the traditional users of the English language, used "nauseated" and "nauseous" to describe emotional reactions. In some inheritor countries, the words are more often used to describe a medical condition. Statements like "You are nauseating" and "I am nauseated by you" are uncommon in many parts of America, but more common in many parts of the U.K. This difference means you will most likely hear these words used differently on either side of the Atlantic.

5. When in doubt, rely on "nauseous," as new dictionary makers have ruled it can now be used in place of "nauseated." An example of linguistic evolution, the change might upset some old-fashioned Englanders, but to the rest of us, it just makes things simpler.

Resources

• Tips from World Wide Words
• More from Bartleby