01
eklig
disgusting
Something that causes a strong feeling of disgust, revulsion, or nausea, for example because of its appearance, smell, or taste.
example
Ich finde Spinnen total eklig.
I find spiders totally disgusting.
eklig
disgusting / nasty
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Eklig' (disgusting) is the adjective related to the noun 'der Ekel' (disgust), which means 'Abscheu' (revulsion) or 'Widerwille' (aversion). Something 'Ekliges' (disgusting) therefore causes disgust.
EXAMPLE
Der Geruch in dem Zimmer war einfach nur eklig.
The smell in the room was simply disgusting.
Context clue
The meaning depends strongly on the context. If the word refers to senses such as taste, smell, or sight, it means 'widerlich' (disgusting). If it refers to people's behavior, it means 'gemein' (mean) or 'unangenehm' (unpleasant).
EXAMPLE
Diese alte Milch schmeckt eklig.
This old milk tastes disgusting.
Register: colloquial language
Using 'eklig' (nasty) to describe unfair or mean behavior is typical of colloquial language.
EXAMPLE
Das war eine eklige Lüge, um sich einen Vorteil zu verschaffen.
That was a nasty lie to gain an advantage.
Compare with
eklig vs lecker
delicious
'lecker' and 'eklig' are almost opposites when talking about food. You use 'lecker' for foods or drinks that taste good. You use 'eklig' when something causes disgust or nausea, for example because of its taste, smell, or appearance. 'eklig' is more strongly negative than simply 'not delicious'. So something can fail to taste especially good without being disgusting right away. 'lecker' fits a pleasant taste, while 'eklig' is for something you would rather not eat, smell, or touch.
eklig
Die Milch riecht eklig, deshalb schütte ich sie weg.
The milk smells disgusting, so I pour it away.
lecker
Auf dem Markt kauft Max frisches Brot, weil es dort so lecker ist.
At the market, Max buys fresh bread because it is so delicious there.
In real life
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