There’s a common misconception that “gross” is a word that you’re allowed to use. I’m not referring to the kind of stuff you can’t use as a noun, such as the “grossest” or “grossest person.” I’m referring to the stuff that has nothing to do with your body or your personal feelings.
To many people, gross is the adjective that describes grossness and grossness is the noun that describes grossness. Because grossness is the more common usage, people find it easier to remember it, and that is great for them, but it isn’t always the case.
Grossness is a noun. It does not mean the same thing twice.
Grossness is the noun, and yet it’s often the adjective that is used to describe the grossness. We see this happen often in the media world, where people are often used to describe gross things, but they never really get the chance to define what they mean. Sometimes we do get to define it, but that’s not always the case.
Sometimes we see people use the word gross in a positive context, like saying it’s very good or that it has a very strong odor (and we all know what those things can be, and are). This is a much more common occurrence. It’s also not the case with people using the word gross in a negative context. We see this happen often in comedy writing and writing in general. We see comedians use the word gross a lot, but they rarely define what the word means.
I think most of us at least, have at least one or two, but I’m not talking about my own self-imposed definitions, I’m talking about other people’s.
The word gross is actually a verb. In its most common usage it means to smell something disgusting, or gross. The word comes from an Indo-European root meaning “to be rotten.” While many words like “gross out” and “grossed out” can be used in a negative context, it’s not the same thing.
I’m using the word gross here as in “grossly grossed out.” I’m not talking about people “grossing” the same thing. Just gross.
To be grossed out is to be surprised or shocked. To gross out is to be astonished, shocked, or shocked out.
Gross is a very negative word. In the word’s most common usage it means to make something disgusting or messy. So in this case, gross out is the opposite of gross, which is to be shocked, or shocked out. In English in general, the word gross is often used in a negative manner. People often use it as a noun, but it’s also sometimes used as a verb.