Are you nauseous? Well, then you are about to make me feel nausea. I must be nauseated by the very sight of you, which would be a cruel thing to say, but you were the one who admitted to being nauseous. You wouldn't know from common usage, but to be "nauseous" is to be revolting, not revolted. A big pile of dog vomit is extremely nauseous. Just thinking about it is nauseating.
Language changes constantly. New words come into being, and old words fade away. It's a natural evolution, but that doesn't mean I can't mourn the passing of a useful distinction. If nauseous now means the same thing as nauseated, then what slips in its place in the lexicon? Revolting, I suppose. Or disgusting, abhorrent, distasteful, loathsome, sickening, detestable, repellent, or repugnant.
One of the joys of the English language is its rich lexicon. One of the downfalls of the English language is its rich lexicon. We have a bounty of words available to represent an idea's many shades of grey. So what's the big deal? Just choose a word in common use that conveys the general idea. But I can be disgusted, abhorred, or repelled by any number of things without feeling my stomach turn as it does when I smell a rotting carcass, or taste a foul bit of food. Those two things are nauseous. They can literally make me throw up. (Sorry for that image.)
I can think of several things I consider revolting, disgusting, abhorrent and distasteful, without ever feeling queasy. Snuff films, political corruption, ponzi schemes, federal taxes, and reality TV come to mind, and my breakfast is still safely tucked away in my belly.
I am a bit nauseated by the slow, painful death of nauseous.
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