ad nauseam

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin ad nauseam, from ad (“to”) + nauseam (“sea-sickness, sickness, nausea”), accusative of nausea.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌæd ˈnɔːziəm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌæd ˈnɔziəm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˌæd ˈnɑziəm/
• (Inland Northern American) IPA^(key): /ˌæd ˈnɒziəm/

Adverb

ad nauseam (not comparable)

1. To a nauseating or sickening degree.
2. Having been done or repeated so often that it has become annoying or tiresome.

   A drunk person was repeating the same old story ad nauseam.

   • 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 325:

     The Feelings album flew off the shelves, and Albert became a pop sensation - until, thanks to airplay ad nauseam, radio listeners grew weary of his sentiments.

Translations

to a sickening degree

• Dutch: ad nauseam
• Finnish: kyllästymiseen saakka
• French: ad nauseam (fr)
• German: bis zum Geht-nicht-mehr (de)
• Greek: κατὰ κόρον (katà kóron)
• Hebrew: עַד לְזָרָא‎ ('ad lezará)
• Hungarian: a végtelenségig, unásig, unalomig, orrvérzésig, a csömörig, vég nélkül, (verb phrase) a könyökén jön ki (hu)
• Icelandic: up að flökurleika; að flökurleika; svo oft að manni býður við því; svo oft að manni þyki meira en nóg um
• Italian: ad oltranza, fino allo sfinimento
• Latin: ad nauseam
• Polish: do znudzenia
• Portuguese: ad nauseam
• Spanish: ad náuseam, hasta la náusea
• Swedish: till leda (sv)

Adjective

ad nauseam (not comparable)

1. Done or repeated so often that it becomes annoying or tiresome.
   • 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 325:

     The Feelings album flew off the shelves, and Albert became a pop sensation—until, thanks to airplay ad nauseam, radio listeners grew weary of his sentiments.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin ad nauseam.

Adverb

ad nauseam (not comparable)

1. ad nauseam (being repeated too often)