Translation guide
Describes something that causes disgust, revulsion, or a feeling of illness. Can be physical (nausea) or moral/emotional (disgust).
Express that something is morally repulsive, disgusting, or makes you feel sick emotionally.
Common colloquial phrase meaning 'disgusting' or 'makes me sick'. Literally 'chest-crap bad'. Strong emotional disgust.
あのニュースは胸くそ悪い。
That news is sickening.
Describe a smell, taste, or sight that makes you feel physically sick or want to vomit.
Same as above, but used for physical nausea. Neutral register.
この臭いは吐き気を催す。
This smell is sickening.
Emphasize that something is extremely bad, unpleasant, or shocking in a way that metaphorically makes you sick.
Expresses a shudder of horror or disgust. 'Makes me shudder'.
その残酷な映像にぞっとした。
I was sickened by the cruel footage.
Means 'to be fed up' or 'sick and tired' of something. More about exasperation than disgust.
胸くそ悪い is stronger and specifically refers to moral/emotional disgust (like 'makes my blood boil'). 気持ち悪い is broader and often used for physical grossness or creepy feelings. Use 胸くそ悪い for outrage, 気持ち悪い for 'eww'.
不正を見ると胸くそ悪くなる。
Seeing injustice makes me sick.
ゴキブリは気持ち悪い。
Cockroaches are gross.
Avoid directly translating 'sickening' as 病気にする (to make ill). That means to cause an actual disease, not disgust. Use the expressions above instead.
Literally 'induces nausea'. Used for both physical and emotional disgust. More formal than 胸くそ悪い.
彼の行動は吐き気を催す。
His behavior is sickening.
Casual verb meaning 'to feel disgusted/irritated'. Often used for personal annoyance or disgust.
その話を聞くとむかつく。
Hearing that story makes me sick.
Formal expression meaning 'to feel a sense of disgust/revulsion'. Used in writing or formal speech.
その光景に嫌悪感を抱いた。
I felt a sense of revulsion at the sight.
General term for 'gross' or 'makes me feel sick'. Very common in casual speech.
その食べ物、気持ち悪い。
That food is sickening.
Onomatopoeic verb describing a queasy, nauseous feeling in the stomach.
油っこい料理でむかむかする。
The greasy food is making me feel sickeningly nauseous.
I'm sickened by his excuses.