Nausea is a feeling of unease and discomfort in the stomach that often leads to vomiting. Though nausea and vomiting can be caused by many things, such as food poisoning or the flu, nausea is most commonly associated with morning sickness during pregnancy. Nauseated and nauseous are both adjectives that describe someone who is experiencing nausea, but there are some key differences between the two terms. Let’s take a closer look at them.
What is Nauseated?
Nauseated is a term that is used to describe the feeling of sickness in the stomach that is often accompanied by an urge to vomit. Nausea can be caused by a variety of things, including motion sickness, pregnancy, and certain medications. It is often accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, and headaches. Nausea can usually be relieved by lying down or drinking clear liquids. However, if it persists for more than a few days, it is important to see a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
What is Nauseous?
Nauseous is an adjective that describes the feeling of sickness or disgust. It can be used to describe someone who is feeling ill, or to describe something that is causing sickness or disgust. Nauseous is often used in place of the word “nauseating” when referring to something that is causing sickness. The word “nauseous” comes from the Latin word “nausea,” which means “seasickness.”
- Nausea is a common symptom of seasickness and is also a common symptom of other forms of sickness, such as morning sickness. Nausea can be caused by many different things, including certain smells, sights, sounds, or tastes.
- Nausea can also be caused by motion sickness, anxiety, or pregnancy. Treatment for nausea typically involves taking medication to relieve the symptoms. Nausea can be a very unpleasant feeling, but it is usually not harmful.
- In most cases, nausea will resolve itself on its own within a short period of time. However, if nausea persists for an extended period of time, it may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition and medical help should be sought.
Differences between Nauseated and Nauseous
Nauseated and Nauseous often are used interchangeably to describe the feeling of sickness in the stomach that sometimes comes before vomiting. Nauseated, however, is a verb meaning “to affect with nausea” whereas Nauseous is an adjective meaning “causing nausea.” In other words, Nauseated describes the action of being sick to one’s stomach whereas Nauseous describes the thing that is causing the sick feeling.
- For example, The strong smell of fish was nauseous. (The smell caused the sickness.) I felt nauseated after eating the fish. (I was affected by the sickness.) Because Nauseated is a verb, it can be used with a direct object, as in “She nauseated me with her constant talk of food.” Nauseous cannot be used this way.
- Furthermore, Nauseous always is used to describe something that causes sick feelings in general and never specifically refers to the person who is going to vomit. So if you are going to vomit, you are said to be “about to vomit,” “getting ready to vomit,” or simply “vomiting,” but never Nauseous.
- The only time Nauseous can be used with reference to a specific person is when that person is doing something that might cause others to vomit, as in “His behavior was so nauseous that we left the party early.” When in doubt, however, it is best to use Nauseated rather than Nauseous because Nauseated is always correct whereas Nauseous occasionally can be incorrect.
Conclusion
Nauseated is an adjective meaning to feel sick and disgusted as if about to vomit. For example, you might say someone looked nauseated when they came out of the bathroom after throwing up. Nauseous, on the other hand, is a verb meaning to cause nausea in someone. So if you said that something made you nauseous, it would mean that thing made you want to vomit.
