kvalmende

Kvalmende is an adjective used in Norwegian to describe something that causes nausea or is nauseating, repulsive, or sickening. It is commonly applied to sensory stimuli such as smells, tastes, or sights, as well as to situations or actions that provoke discomfort or aversion. Examples include a kvalmende lukt (nauseating smell) or a kvalmende smak (nauseating taste), and it can also refer to disturbing or morally repugnant scenes.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the noun kvalme, meaning nausea, with the suffix -ende, which creates adjectives that express a characteristic or effect. Thus kvalmende literally means “causing nausea.” The term is versatile and can be used both attributively (en kvalmende lukt) and predicatively (Lukten var kvalmende).

Usage notes: Kvalmende is widely understood in everyday language and tends to convey a strong sensory or emotional reaction. It is distinct from milder descriptors of unpleasantness and is often stronger than simply saying something is ubehagelig (unpleasant). In addition to kvalmende, the related form kvalmt is used in some phrases to express a similar sense of nausea, for example Det er kvalmt å se (It is nauseating to look at).

See also: kvalme, which denotes the feeling of nausea, and related terms describing sensory discomfort or disgust.