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What does ‘Gross’ mean?
Related forms: Grossly (adverb) Gross Out (phrasal verb)
“The food in the school cafeteria was gross”.
“The smell coming from the kitchen was gross”.
“My naked body looks absolutely gross in the mirror”.
“He lost his job due to gross misconduct”.
“The accident was the result of gross negligence by the doctor”.
“That was an act of gross stupidity”.
“I want two gross of eggs please”.
“To gross out is a phrasal verb meaning to disgust someone. To make somebody feel sick”.
“The murder scene in the film grossed me out”.
Watch: ‘Gross’ explained
Video transcript
Synonyms, adjectives & slang for ‘gross’
Because gross is such a useful everyday adjective, English gives you many ways to say it. Pick the strength and register that fits your situation:
| Register | Words that mean ‘gross’ (disgusting) |
|---|---|
| Neutral / standard | disgusting, revolting, repulsive, sickening, foul, nasty, vile, offensive, obnoxious, gruesome |
| Stronger / formal | repugnant, loathsome, nauseating, abhorrent, odious, distasteful |
| Informal / slang (British) | yucky, icky, grotty, manky, minging, rank, grim, mingy |
When gross means extreme or flagrant (as in gross misconduct), good synonyms are flagrant, blatant, glaring, egregious, utter and outright. As a noun, a gross is twelve dozen — 144. In accounting, gross (before deductions) is the opposite of net. The adverb is grossly and the phrasal verb to gross someone out means to disgust them.
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