What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
sickening
Example
The smell of the garbage was sickening. [sickening: adjective]
Example
The news of the tragedy was sickening and left me feeling numb. [sickening: gerund or present participle]
disgusting
Example
The food was so disgusting that I couldn't eat it. [disgusting: adjective]
Example
The way he treated his employees was absolutely disgusting. [disgusting: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Disgusting is more commonly used than sickening in everyday language. Disgusting is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while sickening is less common and often used in more specific situations.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between sickening and disgusting?
Both sickening and disgusting are informal words and are not typically used in formal contexts.
