I'll just be as blunt as possible. Nauseous and nauseated
do not mean the same thing. If you say you feel nauseous and receive a few
snickers, don’t be surprised.
“Nauseous” is an adjective that refers to
something that induces nausea. “Nauseated”
is the feeling of experiencing nausea. So if you say I feel nauseous, you are basically saying I feel that I am inducing a feeling of sickness in others. How's that for self-deprecation?
However, using "nauseous" to convey a feeling of queasiness has become so common that you are not likely to come across any objections to defining the word as such, except possibly from some grammarians. Even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary now includes "affected with nausea" as a possible definition for "nauseous" [1]. But if you are like me and prefer to use the word as it was intended to be used, you should stick with saying you feel nauseated.
However, using "nauseous" to convey a feeling of queasiness has become so common that you are not likely to come across any objections to defining the word as such, except possibly from some grammarians. Even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary now includes "affected with nausea" as a possible definition for "nauseous" [1]. But if you are like me and prefer to use the word as it was intended to be used, you should stick with saying you feel nauseated.
Speaking of which: Am I making any of you guys nauseated with all of this yet? Am I nauseous? (Yeah, I know. That was pretty lame.)
Moral of the story here? Guys: If your grammar-conscious date ever
happens to look a little green in the gills, don’t tell her that she looks
nauseous unless you want that to be your last date.
References and other links for more information:
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