Queasiness

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkwi.zi.nəs/

Definitions

1. A sensation of mild nausea or an unsettled stomach ; a feeling of discomfort or anxiety often causing worry
2. Experiencing an upset stomach or the urge to vomit ; a state of mental or emotional unease and nervousness
3. The physical sensation of wanting to vomit or feeling unwell in the stomach ; a psychological feeling of apprehension or discomfort

Etymology: Queasiness is a plain formation: the adjective "queasy" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. The suffix has a long pedigree. It descends from an Old English form, "-nes," which was attached to adjectives and nouns to name qualities, and it survives today in hundreds of English nouns such as "darkness" and "kindness." Attaching it to "queasy" simply produces the name for the condition of being queasy. The adjective itself is the more interesting part of the story. "Queasy" is older than its suffix-formed noun, and its earlier sense was closer to "fastidious" or "difficult to please," and its link to stomach trouble came later. Because the noun is built directly from the adjective, it inherits that same association with a delicate, uneasy stomach and gives a name to the sensation rather than to any particular illness.

Synonyms: nausea, sickness, discomfort

Antonyms: comfort, wellness