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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Gross: Definition, Usage & Key Differences (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：disgusting (gross)

gross 🔊

/ɡroʊs/

adj.

Something that is very unpleasant, disgusting, or unacceptable to see, touch, or think about.

disgusting 🔊

➕

/dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/

adj.

Describes something that causes a strong feeling of disgust or aversion.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old French 'gros', from Latin 'grossus' meaning thick, large.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'gross' as 'grows' – disgusting things grow mold, or totals grow before subtractions.

📖 Example

He left a half-eaten sandwich in his bag for a week, and now it smells gross. 🔊 He left a sandwich in his bag for a week, and now it has a disgusting odor.

🔗 Collocations

look gross – appear disgusting or unpleasant

smell gross – have a disgusting odor

feel gross – cause a sensation of disgust when touched

🔄 Synonyms

disgusting (adj.) – causing a strong feeling of revulsion

repulsive (adj.) – arousing intense distaste or disgust

revolting (adj.) – causing intense disgust

🚫 Antonyms

pleasant (adj.) – giving a sense of happy satisfaction or enjoyment

delightful (adj.) – causing delight; charming

🌱 Derivatives

grossly (adv.) – in a disgusting or excessive manner

grossness (n.) – the quality of being disgusting

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'grossus' (thick, coarse), via Old French. In modern English, it informally means disgustingly unpleasant, and in finance, denotes total amount before deductions, widely used in business contexts.

Meaning 2：total before deductions (gross)

gross 🔊

/ɡroʊs/

adj.

The total amount before any subtractions like costs, taxes, or discounts are taken away.

Gross meaning total amount shown on a financial report highlighting gross profit.

total before deductions 🔊

➕

/ˈtoʊtəl bɪˈfɔːr dɪˈdʌkʃənz/

adj.

Refers to the complete amount prior to any subtractions such as taxes or expenses.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My gross salary looks impressive on paper, but after tax and insurance, the net amount is much smaller. 🔊 My salary before deductions appears high, but the take-home pay is significantly less.

🔗 Collocations

gross income – total earnings before any deductions

gross profit – revenue minus cost of goods sold, before other expenses

gross weight – total weight including packaging

🔄 Synonyms

total (adj.) – complete amount before any reductions

overall (adj.) – including everything; comprehensive

aggregate (adj.) – formed by the collection of units into one mass or sum

🚫 Antonyms

net (adj.) – remaining after all deductions have been made

clear (adj.) – free from deductions; net