Widern

Widern is a German verb meaning to disgust or to repulse, expressing a strong aversion toward a person, action, or idea. In everyday usage it appears in constructions such as Es widert mich an, meaning “that disgusts me,” or Eine Sache widert mich an, meaning “something repels me.” Because widern is a separable-prefix verb, the prefix an is separated in the present tense: Es widert mich an.

In nuance, widern conveys moral or aesthetic revulsion rather than simple liking or disliking. It is more formal or literary than everyday synonyms like ekeln. The verb can take a direct object in the sense of “a thing” (eine Sache widert mich an) or be used with an impersonal subject (es).

Etymology: widern belongs to the Germanic family of verbs built with the prefix wider- meaning against, giving the sense of against-feeling or revulsion. It is attested in both older and modern German, typically in literary or formal registers.

Related terms include das Widerwillen (reluctance or aversion) and das Ekel (disgust). The noun Widern is rare; more common nouns for the feeling are Ekel or Widerwille. In English, closest translations are to disgust or nauseate, but widern often carries a stronger moral or aesthetic charge than ordinary disgust.

Widern remains recognized in German-language literature and formal discourse, though it is less frequent in casual speech, where ekeln or abstoßen vor Abneigung are more common.