Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| отврати́тельный | otvratítelʹnyj |
| омерзи́тельный | omerzítelʹnyj |
| га́дкий | gádkij |
| проти́вный | protívnyj |
These words are adjectives used to describe things that cause physical or moral disgust. While they all share a common theme of repulsion, they differ in intensity and context.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the level of disgust and the context: отврати́тельный is a standard term for something disgusting. омерзи́тельный describes something truly revolting or loathsome. га́дкий is used for something nasty, mean or low-quality. And проти́вный is a milder term often used for things that are unpleasant, annoying or slightly distasteful, such as a bad smell or an unpleasant person.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, отврати́тельный changes its ending based on its grammatical role in a sentence, such as becoming отврати́тельного in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
otvratítelʹnyj
When do people say it?
To express immediate disgust or repulsion informally, you can use the interjection Фу.
Did you know?
- The word га́дкий comes from the root га́д, which means 'reptile' or 'creeping thing'. Calling something 'gross' in this way literally links it to the slithering nature of a snake or lizard.
- The word отврати́тельный shares its root with the verb отврати́ть, meaning 'to turn away'. To call something gross is literally to say it makes you turn your face away.
- While 'gross' in English can mean 'total' or 'overall', the Russian adjectives provided here are strictly for disgust and cannot be used for mathematical totals.
Examples in context
- Это просто отвратительно!This is absolutely gross!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gross” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
