gross

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɡɹoʊs/ UK /ɡɹəʊs/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like growth /θ/ vs /s/

Freq #2995

Meanings

1

adj
Very unpleasant or disgusting (informal).

There was old food in the fridge and it was gross.
2

adj
Clearly and seriously wrong or unacceptable.

The report revealed a gross abuse of power.
3

adj
Being the total amount before anything is taken away, such as taxes.

Her gross income is higher than what she actually takes home.
4

adj
Rude, vulgar, or offending good taste.

He told a gross joke that embarrassed everyone.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · very unpleasant or... disgusting revolting nasty

2 adj · clearly and seriously wrong... egregious flagrant serious

3 adj · being the total amount... aggregate total overall

4 adj · rude, vulgar, or offending... coarse vulgar obscene

Word family

Forms grossedgrossergrossesgrossestgrossinggrossness

Derived forms disgrosstinggrossengrossifygrossishgrosslygrossologyungross

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Gross entered English in the Middle English period and ultimately comes from Latin grossus, meaning “large.” Engross has the same ultimate source and comes from the Latin phrase in grosso, “wholesale”; grocer originally denoted someone who sold things “in the gross,” or in large quantities.

Etymology

* As a Jewish and German surname, from groß (“great, large”). The Jewish surname was influenced by Hebrew גדול (“big, large”), hence the Hebraicization Gadol. * As an English surname, from the noun and adjective gross, a doublet of above. The village is named after Ben Gross, who kept a general store there.

גדול Hebrew

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# gross

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɡɹoʊs/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡɹəʊs/
**Frequency rank:** 2995

## Meanings
1. Very unpleasant or disgusting (informal).
2. Clearly and seriously wrong or unacceptable.
3. Being the total amount before anything is taken away, such as taxes.
4. Rude, vulgar, or offending good taste.

## Examples
- There was old food in the fridge and it was gross.
- The report revealed a gross abuse of power.
- Her gross income is higher than what she actually takes home.
- He told a gross joke that embarrassed everyone.

## Derived Forms
- disgrossting
- grossen
- grossify
- grossish
- grossly
- grossology
- ungross

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: גדול

## Etymology
* As a Jewish and German surname, from groß (“great, large”). The Jewish surname was influenced by Hebrew גדול (“big, large”), hence the Hebraicization Gadol. * As an English surname, from the noun and adjective gross, a doublet of above. The village is named after Ben Gross, who kept a general store there.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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