By Mary Morel
Which would you say?
- I feel nauseous.
- I feel nauseated.
I would say ‘I feel nauseous’, and some experts would say that is OK, but others would say it is incorrect.
Language purists would say that nauseous means ‘causing nausea or sickness’ and nauseated means ‘you feel sick or experience feelings of nausea’.
The Macquarie Dictionary gives a definition of nauseous as ‘experiencing feelings of nausea’, but says this usage does not have universal acceptance.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary takes a stand and says those who think nauseous cannot mean ‘are affected with nausea of disgust’ are ‘mistaken’.
Learn more
Learn more about commonly confused words with one of my online courses:
- 100 Commonly Confused Words (A$19.95)
- Working with Words (A$39)
View the full list of Online Writing Training courses.