
It generally means that something has been repeated so many times that one has become literally “sick of it.BC is an abbreviation of the words "before Christ" and is used in reference to the time before the birth of Jesus. Let’s ReviewĪd nauseam is a Latin term to mean “to sickness” and is used in a figurative sense to point to a disgusting or ridiculous degree.

And, of course, ad nausea is also popularly used as a figurative form of speech, as explained above. Today, it generally means to have an upset stomach, to feel queasy, or to feel as if one might vomit. In fact, in the 16th century, nausea was shortened to nase or nasy as a slang word to mean “hopelessly drunk.” Nausea is a 15th-century Latin word to mean “vomiting” from Ionic Greek nausea to mean “seasickness or ship-sickness” since naus means “ship.”Īd is a Latin prefix to mean “to,” creating the meaning “to sickness” when added to nausea.ĭespite the etymology, the English adaptation has never limited nausea or ad nausea to seasickness and applies it to other areas of general unwellness. Ad Nauseam Origins Ad Nauseam usage trend. Be sure to avoid the common misspelling of replacing the -a with a -u. Unfortunately, many people spell the term incorrectly, using ad nauseum rather than ad nauseam.

In modern English, the Latin loanword ad nauseam-originally meaning, literally, to sickness-is an adverb meaning to a disgusting or ridiculous degree. Let’s explore its etymology, proper spelling, and usage.


This Latin-inspired phrase is an excellent way to let somebody know you are sick of something. Ad nauseam is the perfect example of a phrase that has stayed true to its pronunciation, spelling, and meaning for hundreds of years.
