Meaning & use
disgustingly
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
In a way that causes strong revulsion, especially in smell, taste, appearance or behavior.
Grammar: Modifies adjectives or verbs: disgustingly dirty.
Patterns
- disgustingly dirty
The refrigerator smelled disgustingly of old fish.
He ate disgustingly, with his mouth wide open.
The soup was disgustingly salty and cold.
adverbnot comparableinformalhumorous
Extremely, used for emphasis, often as mild envy or humor about something very good.
Grammar: Placed before an adjective: disgustingly rich.
Patterns
- disgustingly rich
She is disgustingly talented at every sport she tries.
They looked disgustingly happy on their honeymoon.
Common combinations
- disgustingly dirty
- The kitchen was disgustingly dirty.
- disgustingly sweet
- The cake was disgustingly sweet.
- disgustingly rich
- He is disgustingly rich and never works.
- smell disgustingly
- The bins smell disgustingly in summer.
- disgustingly healthy
- He looks disgustingly healthy after the marathon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- revoltingly
- A near match, slightly stronger and more literary.
- repulsively
- Suggests being pushed away by something ugly or unpleasant.
- horribly
- A general intensifier for bad things, lacking the physical revulsion of disgustingly.
- incredibly
- Neutral emphasis, not tied to dislike.
Opposites
Word family
- disgust noun
- strong dislike or revulsion
- disgust verb
- to cause revulsion
- disgusting adjective
- very unpleasant
- disgusted adjective
- feeling revulsion
Commonly confused: disgustingly or disgustedly?
disgustingly vs disgustedly
Disgustedly describes how a person reacts; disgustingly describes the thing causing revulsion.
Practice
Which sentence uses disgustingly as a humorous intensifier?
Choose one answer.
Disgustingly can playfully intensify a positive adjective. In the other options it conflicts in meaning with the verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disgustingly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.