Ad Nauseam / *Ad Nauseum | Meaning & Examples
Ad nauseam is an adverb meaning “to a sickening degree.”
It’s usually not used literally to refer to sickness or nausea but instead means that something is going on and on, or being repeated over and over, until it becomes annoying or boring (until you’re sick of it).
Steve talks about his boyfriend ad nauseam.
The teacher made her repeat the memory exercises ad nauseam.
Though people often misspell it “ad nauseum,” the only correct spelling is “ad nauseam.”
Ad nauseam is a term that comes from Latin, but it’s been used in English for hundreds of years, so you don’t need to italicize it as you would for a more recent loanword.
Table of contents
Other interesting language articles
If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
Definitions
US vs. UK spellings
Frequently asked questions
- What is a synonym of “ad nauseam”?
-
Ad nauseam is usually used to refer to something going on for too long. Some rough synonyms of ad nauseam are:
- At great length
- Excessively
- Long-windedly
- Repetitively
- To a sickening degree
- Is it “ad nauseam” or “ad nauseum”?
-
The correct spelling of the term meaning “to a sickening degree” is ad nauseam, with an “a.” The common misspelling “ad nauseum,” with a “u,” is never correct.
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleCaulfield, J. (September 20, 2022). Ad Nauseam / *Ad Nauseum | Meaning & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/definitions/ad-nauseam/
