Worse than MOIST: Top Grossest Sounding English Words

What do you feel when you read words elysian or vivacious? And what about bulbous or maggots?

I bet the first words sound more like music to the ears while the other two cause that nails-on-a-chalkboard kind of feeling or simply a disgust. However, it's not all about the actual words we speak. It’s about your imagination. Of course, some grossest words are just onomatopoeic which means that they phonetically imitate a sound that you don’t like ( "blat" for example ).

But the letter combination is one thing, while the image in your mind is much more powerful. So let’s check how does your mind react to the grossest sounding English words.

Watch out! Gross.

1. Masticate [mas-ti-keyt]

I prefer to start with a word that won’t make you vomit right away, but might be infuriating. Masticate means the process of crushing food by teeth or simply chewing. I’m sure, you get annoyed when somebody is chewing gum loudly near you. So if you know anyone with a chronic mastication, keep calm and leave quietly. Otherwise, there is a chance you will explode from anger.

2. Diarrhea [dahy-uh-ree-uh]

This happens to everyone sooner or later. Someone might have unpleasant memories or feelings, while others can get some negative associations with this word. Even though we all know what Diarrhea means, I’ll mention the words “intestinal disorder” and “frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations” again. Now you know how a disgust feels, right?

3. Feculent [fek-yuh-luhnt]

If we’re already talking about defecation, then it’s a perfect moment to remember the word feculent which means something dirty, scummy or foul. This word relates directly to feces, and you probably use it whenever something smells really bad. Try not to think about that flavor. Don't thank me.

4. Pimple [pim-puhl]

I think every girl or a teenage boy faced with the problem when you need to look flawlessly and everything seems to be into account until one little thing breaks all your plans at the last moment - a pimple. This word means a small, hard, inflamed spot on the skin that usually swells and produces another gross word - pus. So, as you might guess, these two go together not only in real life, but on our list too.

5. Pus [puhs]

Yes, we got here. Meet the grossest definition ever: a yellow-white or greenish less viscid liquid produced in infected tissue, consisting of dead white blood cells and bacteria with tissue debris and serum. No idea how do I get the image of some mucousy substance in my mind when I read or hear this word, but to get rid of it I’ll probably move to the next word quickly.

6. Ooze [ooz]

Ooze is another word related to "pus," but you likely have little trouble imagining it. No matter what are we talking about noun or verb, they both mean pretty gross things. For instance, the noun's definition sounds like “ the sluggish flow of a fluid ” and the verb means “to slowly exude or discharge a viscous fluid.” So, whatever you pick this word will still define something unpleasant.

7. Smegma [smeg-muh]

Did I say that “pus” has the grossest definition ever? I was wrong! A real leader of all disgusting words is smegma. It’s the name of a thick, whitish, sebaceous secretion that collects especially beneath a man's foreskin. No comments are needed here.

8. Phlegm [flem]

And that's how we smoothly got from the purulent topic to the wet one. Meet another gross representative - phlegm. It’s not just hideous; this word is even hard to spell. Phlegm means that thick, viscous substance with which we are so tormented during a cold. It comes from the mucous membranes especially in the lungs and throat and gets discharged through the mouth. Gross.

9. Mucus [myoo-kuhs]

I’ve already mentioned this word two times in the article, so it truly deserves to be on this list as the most frequently used. So, mucus is a viscous liquid secreted by glands lining the nasal, esophageal and other body cavities which primarily serves to protect and moisten surfaces. Yes. That natural lubricant produced by woman's genitals is also mucus.

10. Moist [moist]

Finally, a classy gross word is here - moist. It’s always associated with something humid or liquid, and in case you’re neutral to this word remember “moist panties, ” and you might switch the opinion. Most of us associate “moist” with the intimate zone, but someone who isn’t aware might try to describe their favorite biscuit cake with this word. However, such attempts usually fail quickly and for sure do not increase an appetite. So, better don’t talk about that biscuit.

You've just made all the way through the top 10 grossest words, so I have nothing more to add. My praise. Now you better take a minute and think about something cuddly and pleasant. But if you have any words to add, let me know in the comments. I’ll gladly ( or grossly ) expand the list!