gross
Verbgrosses, grossing, grossed
Noun pluralgross, grosses
Formsgrosses, grossing, grossed
Pluralgross, grosses
- 1Very unpleasant to look at, smell, or think about.
Like finding a hair in your food.
That smell from the trash can is so gross.
The kids said the moldy bread looked gross.
UsageSay so gross or just Gross! with friends.
Similardisgusting, revolting, nasty, yucky, grotesque
Oppositepleasant, appealing, delightful
- 2Showing the full amount before anything is taken away.
Like the full price on a tag before any discount.
Her gross pay is more than her take-home pay.
The gross price does not include the discount yet.
UsageUse it before a noun: gross pay. The opposite is net.
Similartotal, overall, aggregate
Oppositenet
Note
- 3To earn a total amount of money before costs are taken out.
Like counting all the money you take in before you pay for anything.
The bakery can gross two thousand dollars on a busy day.
Last summer the festival stall grossed several thousand dollars over the weekend.
UsageSay a film grossed a sum: it grossed $2 million.
Note
- 4
- 5The full amount of money or goods before anything is taken away.
Like all the money in the jar before you pay any bills.
The store's gross for the weekend was over ten thousand dollars.
After paying costs, only half of the gross was left.
UsageYou can say the gross for the total: the film's opening gross.
Similartakings, revenue, receipts, earnings
Oppositenet
Note
- 6Big enough to see with your eyes alone, without a microscope.
Like seeing a whole forest from far away instead of one leaf up close.
Doctors can spot gross changes in the organ without a microscope.
The gross damage was easy to see, but the tiny cracks needed a microscope.
Similarmacroscopic
Oppositemicroscopic
Note
Less common meanings
- 7
- 8A group of 144 things, the same as twelve dozen.
Like a dozen dozens: twelve groups of twelve.
The factory shipped a gross of pencils to the school.
One gross of eggs filled the whole crate.
UsageSay three gross of pencils, with no -es.
- 9Not quick to notice or feel things, and dull in the senses.
A thousand liveried Angels lacky her [the chaste soul], Driving far off each thing of sin and guilt, And in cleer dream, and solemn vision Tell her of things that no gross ear can hear.
1634, [John Milton], A Maske Presented at Ludlow CastleHere, gross means dull and not sensitive, so an ordinary ear cannot hear it.For he is groſſe and like the maſſie earth, That mooues not vpwards, nor by princely deeds Doth meane to ſoare aboue the highest ſort.
c. 1587, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First PartSimilardull
Note
- 10
- 11Rough and basic, not fine or high in quality.
He scorned my wholesome kennel fare, toothing out dainties and leaving the grosser portions to be finished by the other dogs.
1944, Emily Carr, “Lorenzo Was Registered” - 12Very fat and heavy for one's height.
He collected a number of injuries that stopped him jousting, and then in middle age became stout, eventually gross.
2013, Hilary Mantel, “Royal Bodies” - 13Very thick and heavy, sometimes so thick you cannot see through it.
Thy spirit ere our fatal loss Did ever rise from high to higher; As mounts the heavenward altar-fire, As flies the lighter thro’ the gross.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam - 14The main part of something, or its largest share.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
It comes from an old French word 'gros' and Latin 'grossus', meaning big, fat, or thick.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- English 'gross' derives from Old French 'gros' and ultimately Latin 'grossus'. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin 'grossus' means big, fat, or thick. en.wiktionary.org