Squeasy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈskwiːzi/

Definitions

1. Feeling prone to nausea or disgust; having a general sense of discomfort or unease
2. Likely to feel sick or find something repulsive; experiencing a state of mental or physical discomfort
3. Quick to feel queasy or grossed out; showing an unsettled or uneasy feeling about something

Etymology: "Squeasy" is a formation from "squeamish" with the "-y" suffix, meaning "prone to nausea" or feeling queasy. The word is recorded in English dictionaries from the twentieth century, and it is one of the informal, somewhat playful spellings that appear mostly in speech and casual writing rather than in formal print. Its base, "squeamish," has an older and more complicated history. It appeared in Middle English in the 1300s in forms that carried the sense of being easily upset or fastidious, and its origin is uncertain, possibly related to Anglo-Norman or Old French words for being disgusted or dainty. Over time its meaning narrowed from general fussiness toward the specific sense of being easily sickened or repelled. "Squeasy" follows that narrowing. Adding "-y" to a base word is a common English pattern, as in "hungry" or "sleepy," and here it turns a word about delicate tastes into one describing a queasy stomach.

Synonyms: nauseous, queasy, unsettled

Antonyms: comfortable, content