- Have you ever felt a strong negative emotion but weren’t sure if you should say you were “angry” or “disgusted”?
- Do you know which prepositions correctly follow the word “disgust”?
- Are you looking for more sophisticated ways to express your dislike than just saying “that’s gross”?
Mastering collocations—words that naturally bond together in English—is the fastest way to move from intermediate to advanced fluency. When you use the right pairings for the word disgust, you sound more precise, professional, and natural to native speakers. This guide will break down how to use “disgust” as both a noun and a verb using modern, 2024-standard English.
Essential Collocations using DISGUST as a Noun
As a noun, “disgust” refers to the feeling of revulsion or strong disapproval. We often describe the intensity of this feeling or the actions we take because of it.
Adjectives to Describe Intensity
- Utter disgust: “She looked at the messy kitchen with utter disgust.” (Meaning: Total/complete)
- Deep disgust: “A feeling of deep disgust washed over him when he heard the news.”
- Visible disgust: “The judge’s visible disgust was clear to everyone in the courtroom.”
- Visceral disgust: “I had a visceral disgust toward the smell of the rotting fruit.” (Meaning: A physical, “gut” feeling)
Common Verbs Used with the Noun
- Feel disgust: “Most people feel disgust when they see cruelty.”
- Express disgust: “The community expressed disgust at the new tax laws.”
- Hide/Conceal disgust: “He tried to hide his disgust during the awkward dinner party.”
- Register disgust: “Her face didn’t even register disgust; she was just shocked.”
Prepositional Patterns
- Disgust at: “He felt disgust at the way the animals were treated.”
- Disgust with: “She was filled with disgust with herself for lying.”
- Disgust for: “I have nothing but disgust for people who cheat.”
Common Collocations with DISGUST as a Verb
When “disgust” is used as a verb, it means to provoke a feeling of revulsion in someone else. In modern English, this is often paired with specific adverbs.
Adverbs of Degree
- Thoroughly disgust: “The graphic scenes in the movie thoroughly disgusted the audience.”
- Absolutely disgust: “Your behavior absolutely disgusts me.”
- Genuinely disgust: “It genuinely disgusts her when people don’t wash their hands.”
- Quite disgust: (Common in UK English) “The state of the hotel room quite disgusted us.”
The Master Summary Table
| Collocation | Part of Speech | Quick Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Utter disgust | Adjective + Noun | Total and complete revulsion. |
| Feel disgust at | Verb + Noun + Prep | To experience the emotion regarding an object or event. |
| Thoroughly disgust | Adverb + Verb | To cause someone to feel very sick or offended. |
| Hide your disgust | Verb + Noun | To try not to show that you are offended. |
| Visceral disgust | Adjective + Noun | A very deep, physical feeling of dislike. |
Common Mistakes: Natural vs Unnatural
| Do Not Say | Say This |
|---|---|
| I have a big disgust. | I feel deep disgust. |
| That smell disgusts to me. | That smell disgusts me. (No “to”) |
| I am disgust with you. | I am disgusted with you. (Use the adjective form) |
| He showed his high disgust. | He expressed his disgust. |
“After the scandal broke, the CEO’s visible disgust was apparent to the entire board. He expressed disgust at the lack of ethics shown by the management team. It wasn’t just a minor annoyance; it was utter disgust that thoroughly disgusted everyone involved in the investigation.”
Frequently Asked Questions about Disgust Collocations
Is it “disgust at” or “disgust with”?
Both are correct but used in slightly different ways. “Disgust at” is often used for situations or actions (disgust at the crime), while “disgust with” is frequently used for people or oneself (disgust with his behavior/disgust with myself).
What is the difference between “disgusting” and “disgusted”?
“Disgusting” describes the thing that causes the feeling (The food is disgusting). “Disgusted” describes the person who feels the emotion (I am disgusted by the food).
Can I say “highly disgusted”?
While understandable, it is more natural to use “thoroughly,” “utterly,” or “deeply” instead of “highly” when talking about disgust.
Is “disgust” used as a verb often in daily conversation?
Yes, though we often use it in the passive voice: “I was disgusted by his comments” rather than “His comments disgusted me,” although both are grammatically perfect.
What is a common idiom for showing disgust?
A very common physical collocation/idiom is to “recoil in disgust” (to move backward physically because something is gross) or to “turn up your nose in disgust.”
I found the part about 'utter disgust' very useful. Can 'complete disgust' also be used, or is 'utter' preferred?
Great follow-up, Juan! While 'complete disgust' is grammatically correct and its meaning is clear, 'utter disgust' is significantly more idiomatic and commonly used by native speakers to express total or absolute revulsion. Focusing on 'utter' will definitely help you sound more natural and fluent. It's a prime example of why collocations matter!
This is a fantastic resource. I often struggle with sounding natural. Understanding these pairings helps immensely. Keep up the great work, Translateen.com!
When describing disgust towards people, is 'visible disgust' appropriate? Or is it more for situations/objects? I want to make sure I use it correctly.
Excellent query, Niko! 'Visible disgust' can absolutely be used when describing a reaction towards a person, especially their actions or behavior. For example, 'The jury showed visible disgust at the defendant's testimony.' It refers to the outward manifestation of the feeling, regardless of whether the target is a person, object, or situation. The key is that the feeling is observable.
I loved the tip about collocations being the fastest way to fluency. It makes so much sense! I'm going to start paying more attention to them in everything I read and hear.
Is there a slight difference between 'deep disgust' and 'profound disgust'? Or are they largely interchangeable?
That's a great question about nuance, Hiroshi! Both 'deep disgust' and 'profound disgust' convey a very strong, intense feeling. They are largely interchangeable in many contexts, but 'profound' can sometimes suggest a more intellectual or philosophical depth to the feeling, or one that is long-lasting and fundamental. 'Deep' is perhaps a bit more common and straightforward for describing strong emotional intensity.
Just wanted to say 'bravo!' This is exactly the kind of detailed explanation intermediate learners need to sound more native. The examples are perfect for context.
I'm curious about the '2024-standard English' mention. Does it mean certain collocations change over time or become less common? Very interesting point!
That's a very insightful observation, Kwame! Yes, language is always evolving, and collocations are no exception. While core meanings often remain, certain pairings can become more or less common, or even fall out of use. '2024-standard' simply means we're focusing on collocations that are current, widely understood, and sound natural to native speakers today, ensuring you learn the most relevant English for modern communication.
Thank you Translateen! I often confuse 'angry' and 'disgusted.' This article really clarified the nuances. Will you cover more emotions like this, maybe 'fear' or 'sadness'?
You're most welcome, Maria! We understand how tricky it can be to distinguish between similar emotions in English. We definitely plan to cover more emotional vocabulary and their collocations in future articles. Your suggestion for 'fear' and 'sadness' is noted – thank you for helping us plan future content!
The example 'She looked at the messy kitchen with utter disgust' is so vivid! Can 'utter' be used with other negative emotions too, like 'utter anger' or 'utter disappointment'?
What a great question, Chen! Yes, 'utter' is a versatile adjective that means 'complete' or 'absolute' and can indeed be used with many other strong negative emotions and abstract nouns to emphasize their totality. 'Utter anger,' 'utter disappointment,' 'utter despair,' and 'utter confusion' are all perfectly natural and common collocations. It's an excellent way to intensify your descriptions!
Before this, I only knew 'gross.' Now I feel much more articulate. When using 'disgust' as a verb, is it always 'disgusted by/with'?
That's fantastic progress, Priya! You're exactly right. When 'disgust' is used as a verb in the passive voice (which is very common for emotions, e.g., 'I am disgusted'), we almost always use 'disgusted *by*' or 'disgusted *with*.' 'By' usually refers to the agent or cause, and 'with' often indicates the object or situation of the feeling. Both are correct and widely used!