disgusting

Disgusting is an adjective used to describe something that arouses disgust, a strong negative emotion characterized by revulsion and a desire to avoid or expel the object. Disgust commonly accompanies perceptions of contamination, decay, or moral impropriety and can be applied to foods, odors, textures, sights, and behaviors.

Psychologically, disgust is considered a basic emotion in many theories and is linked to the avoidance of potential harm, such as toxins or pathogens. The response often includes facial expressions such as nose wrinkling, upper lip raising, and a feeling of nausea, and it can be triggered by sensory cues or imagined violations.

Cultural and contextual factors shape what is perceived as disgusting. While some domains—rotting matter, feces, vomit, and certain bodily fluids—are widely aversive, the threshold for disgust varies across societies and individuals. Moral disgust refers to revulsion toward perceived violations of social norms, laws, or ethics, which can be entirely abstract.

Disgusting is frequently used as a hyperbolic rating in speech and writing to emphasize strong dislike or revulsion. The term also appears in media and criticism to condemn practices, conditions, or scenes that provoke a visceral reaction.

Disgust sensitivity, the degree to which a person experiences disgust, varies among individuals and can influence health behaviors, food choices, and germ-related avoidance. Some conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, are associated with heightened disgust responses.