Ill Feelings

Here’s a little grammar for your Tuesday, two very common words that simply need to be used in the right direction: Nauseated and Nauseous.

Nauseated (passive participle)

To be feeling, or having been caused to feel nausea. To be affected with nausea.

Ex: Susan was feeling sick to her stomach. She was very nauseated.

Nauseous (adjective)

Causing nausea; sickening

Ex: Stanley tells jokes about really gross things. He’s a nauseous jokester.

Thus, the correct way to say that you feel like you’re going to throw up is to say, “I feel nauseated.” 

Now, to say, “I feel nauseous,” means, “I feel like I’m making all of you sick, that I’m the cause of your nausea.”

Directionally mind boggling, right?

So the next time a friend says to you, “Man, was I sick yesterday! I was so nauseous…” Try not to laugh. And stop yourself from saying, “Really? How many people were sickened by you?”

Blog fans, let us go forth, unafraid, this and every flu season, because we get this rule right.