gross 1 of 3

adjective

ˈgrōs How to pronounce gross (audio)
Definition of grossnext
1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society he was thrown out of class for making a gross gesture

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2
as in plump
having an excess of body fat a very gross cat trying to squeeze through a small opening in the fence

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3
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste she haughtily refused to mix with what she called "the gross masses who are unappreciative of fine art"

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4
as in blatant
very noticeable especially for being incorrect or bad a gross mistake that some proofreader should have caught

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5
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment the little boy insisted that worms are gross

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gross

2 of 3

noun

1
as in total

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2
as in revenue

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gross

3 of 3

verb

as in to net

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word gross different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gross are coarse, obscene, ribald, and vulgar. While all these words mean "offensive to good taste or morals," gross implies extreme coarseness and insensitiveness.

gross eating habits

When can coarse be used instead of gross?

The synonyms coarse and gross are sometimes interchangeable, but coarse implies roughness, rudeness, or crudeness of spirit, behavior, or language.

found the coarse humor of coworkers offensive

Where would obscene be a reasonable alternative to gross?

Although the words obscene and gross have much in common, obscene applies to anything strongly repulsive to the sense of decency and propriety especially in sexual matters.

obscene language not allowed on the air

When could ribald be used to replace gross?

The meanings of ribald and gross largely overlap; however, ribald applies to what is amusingly or picturesquely vulgar or irreverent or mildly indecent.

entertained the campers with ribald folk songs

When is it sensible to use vulgar instead of gross?

While in some cases nearly identical to gross, vulgar often implies boorishness or ill-breeding.

a loud vulgar belch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gross
Adjective
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced on Wednesday that Craig Guildford is being investigated alongside three WMP officers and a staff member for gross misconduct over the controversial ban last November. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 None of the proceeds though from that screening, which took place at the Metro Private Cinema in New York on Friday, August 21, were even factored into Friday’s $25K gross (Neon did not disclose figures for the special screening). — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
In a series distinguished by copious disgusting battle scenes, Ormund co-stars in one of its very grossest—a gross-on-gross-on-gross flambé—and almost gets in one last barf. — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Since launching wide on July 29, the tentpole has pulled in a cumulative gross of $25 million from 3,384,147 total admissions. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
That film, of course, is Bohemian Rhapsody, which currently holds the all-time box office record as the highest grossing music biopic of all time with a worldwide box office tally of $911 million. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026 The grocer didn’t respond to a request for comment, but a retail property expert familiar with store leases estimated that Erewhon would need to gross more than $1 million per week to cover the Culver City rent disclosed in the recent lawsuit. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gross
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gross
  1. obscene
  2. plump
  3. crass
  4. blatant
  5. disgusting
  6. total
  7. revenue
  8. net
Adjective
  • More than 3,000 shows and a sizable cult following later, The Dark Room has evolved into a choose-your-own-adventure live action video game, presided over by Robertson as its obscene, merciless and incredibly quick-witted host.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The law is aimed at prohibiting children from obtaining books and movies with obscene content.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • Purchasing Fresh Corn In The Husk To pick out your fresh corn still in the husk, start by giving the ear of corn a gentle squeeze to feel for plump kernels and avoid husks with brown holes, a sign of worms.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026
  • It can even be injected or taken as a supplement, though is most commonly found in moisturizers and serums to lock in hydration, plump, and smooth fine lines.
    — Ellie Davis, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of plump
Adjective
  • That pertness should be unbearable, but the scene is written in a minor key and performed by both actors to match, favouring eye contact and murmurs; the sheer brevity prevents it from becoming gloopy or crass.
    — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a crass and charismatic oil executive who’s called upon to help save the world after his company nearly destroys it.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 July 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • Some critics have argued that the watermark will prove largely ineffective for flagging anything short of blatant chatbot use.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Compounding this economic instability is blatant domestic corruption defined by self-enrichment.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of blatant
Adjective
  • There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This whole situation is discriminatory, disgusting, and quite frankly, Orwellian.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Noun
  • Forecasters said Edouard is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches, with maximum totals up to 9 inches, for parts of the Upper Texas coast inland through east-central Texas.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • By the end of the night, Chicago had nine in total as part of a 17-3 rout that cemented August 2026 as one for the record books for the North Siders.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of total
Noun
  • Unlike Anthropic, which gets a higher share of its revenues from enterprises, OpenAI is more popular among individual consumers, explained Ujjwal Chaudhry, a partner at market intelligence firm Analysys Mason.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Improve home-health billing, claims submission, denial management, legacy accounts receivable, revenue-cycle dashboards, and financial sustainability.
    — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of revenue
Verb
  • The Red Bulls avoided a shutout in the 74th minute when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting netted his third goal of the season after scoring 17 times as a rookie last year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Burton finished with a season-high 13 assists and zero turnovers along with her eight points, while Cecilia Zandalasini netted a game-high 20 points, just three off her career-high.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of net

Phrases Containing gross

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groping
gross
grossed
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Cite this Entry

“Gross.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gross. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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