Definition

Verb phrase: - To cause someone to feel nausea or disgust; to upset someone's stomach, often due to something unpleasant seen, smelled, or thought about. It describes a strong physical reaction of revulsion.

Usage

This phrase is used to describe a situation where something is so revolting or offensive that it induces a feeling of sickness. It is often used in the passive voice ("My stomach was turned") or with the cause of the disgust as the subject.

Examples

• The graphic images from the documentary turned my stomach.
• The thought of eating snails turns her stomach.
• The politician's hypocrisy turns the stomach of every honest citizen.
• The sight of the rotting garbage was enough to turn your stomach.

Advanced Usage

• To have one's stomach turned: A passive construction emphasizing the experience of the person feeling disgust.
  • His stomach was turned by the cruelty he witnessed.

Variants and Related Words

• Sicken (verb): To cause to feel disgust or nausea. (e.g., The violence in the film sickened me.)
• Nauseate (verb): To affect with nausea; to sicken. (e.g., The smell nauseated the passengers.)

Synonyms

• Disgust
• Revolt
• Make sick
• Gross out (informal)

Related Idioms

• Make one's blood run cold: To frighten or horrify someone deeply. (This shares the sense of a strong physical reaction but to fear, not disgust.)
• Stick in one's craw: To be difficult to accept and cause ongoing irritation or resentment. (This shares the sense of something being deeply unpleasant but focuses on persistent annoyance rather than immediate physical sickness.)

Verb

1. upset and make nauseated
   • The smell of the food turned the pregnant woman's stomach
   • The mold on the food sickened the diners