der
Ekel
🤢 What does "der Ekel" mean?
Der Ekel is the German word for disgust, aversion, or revulsion. It describes a strong feeling of dislike or repugnance towards certain things, people, smells, tastes, or situations. It's an intense negative emotion often associated with physical reactions like nausea (die Übelkeit).
The noun der Ekel primarily has this one meaning: the feeling itself.
⚠️ Note: Colloquially, "Ekel" can sometimes be used derogatorily to refer to a disgusting person ("Er ist ein richtiges Ekel!" - He's a real creep/disgusting person!"), but this is less common and informal.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Waste → mostly masculine.
-el → mostly masculine.
1. Caution: many exceptions. 2. there are many -el words, we don't list them all.
🧐 Grammar of "der Ekel"
The word "Ekel" is a masculine noun. Its article is der.
Declension Singular
Here's how "der Ekel" changes in the singular cases:
| Case | Masculine |
|---|---|
| Nominative | der Ekel (the disgust) |
| Genitive | des Ekels (of the disgust) |
| Dative | dem Ekel (to/for the disgust) |
| Accusative | den Ekel (the disgust) |
Declension Plural
The plural form "die Ekel" is used very rarely. When used, it often refers to disgusting things or people, or specific, repeated instances of disgust.
| Case | Masculine (rare) |
|---|---|
| Nominative | die Ekel (the disgusts/disgusting things/people) |
| Genitive | der Ekel (of the disgusts/...) |
| Dative | den Ekeln (to/for the disgusts/...) |
| Accusative | die Ekel (the disgusts/...) |
📝 Example Sentences
- Beim Anblick der verdorbenen Speisen überkam ihn der Ekel. (On seeing the spoiled food, he was overcome by disgust.)
- Sie empfand tiefen Ekel vor seiner Heuchelei. (She felt deep disgust at his hypocrisy.)
- Der Geruch verursachte bei mir sofortigen Ekel. (The smell caused immediate disgust in me.)
- Sein Ekel war ihm deutlich ins Gesicht geschrieben. (His disgust was clearly written on his face.)
💡 How to use "der Ekel"?
"Der Ekel" is used to express a strong feeling of aversion or revulsion. It can relate to various triggers:
- Sensory stimuli: Spoiled food (verdorbene Lebensmittel), unpleasant smells (unangenehme Gerüche), unhygienic conditions (unhygienische Zustände).
- Moral failings: Cruelty (Grausamkeit), betrayal (Verrat), injustice (Ungerechtigkeit) can provoke moral disgust (moralischer Ekel).
- Social situations: Certain behaviors or people can be perceived as disgusting (ekelerregend).
Comparison with "Abscheu": "Ekel" is often stronger and more physical than "Abscheu," which typically describes a deep-seated aversion, often based on moral grounds. However, the distinction can be blurry.
The related adjective is eklig or ekelhaft (disgusting), and the verb is ekeln (sich ekeln vor - to be disgusted by).
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Ekel"
Article "der"
Imagine a strong man (masculine -> der) yelling "EEE-k! Hell no!" when seeing something disgusting. The strong man helps you remember der.
Meaning "Disgust"
The sound "Ekel" might remind you of the English exclamation "Eek!" combined with "hell", expressing strong aversion and unpleasantness, which is the core of disgust.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Der Abscheu: Abhorrence, detestation (often moral).
- Der Widerwille: Reluctance, aversion.
- Die Abscheulichkeit: Abominableness, heinousness (refers more to the quality).
- Der Gräuel: Abomination, horror (very strong).
- Die Übelkeit: Nausea (physical reaction often accompanying disgust).
⚠️ Similar Words:
- eklig / ekelhaft (adjectives): disgusting, nasty, revolting.
- ekeln (verb): to disgust or to feel disgusted (e.g., sich vor etwas ekeln - to be disgusted by something).
😂 A Little Joke
Gast zum Kellner: "Herr Ober, in meiner Suppe schwimmt eine Fliege!"
Kellner: "Keine Sorge, die trinkt nicht viel."
Gast: "Doch! Sie hat schon alles ausgetrunken, was mir Ekel bereitet hätte!"
Translation:
Guest to waiter: "Waiter, there's a fly swimming in my soup!"
Waiter: "Don't worry, it doesn't drink much."
Guest: "Oh yes, it does! It already drank everything that would have disgusted me!"
✍️ Poem about Disgust
Ein Geruch, so fremd und schwer,
Ein Anblick, den man nicht begehrt.
Ein Schaudern läuft den Rücken kalt,
Der Ekel kommt, mit Ungestalt.
Er würgt die Kehle, dreht den Magen,
Lässt uns die Flucht nach vorne wagen.
Ein stark Gefühl, so klar und rein,
Will sagen: "Das darf hier nicht sein!"
Translation:
A smell, so strange and heavy,
A sight that one does not desire.
A shudder runs down the back cold,
Disgust arrives, misshapen and bold.
It chokes the throat, turns the stomach,
Makes us dare to flee forward.
A strong feeling, so clear and pure,
Wants to say: "This should not be here!"
🧩 Riddle Time
Ich bin ein starkes Gefühl, oft ungeladen,
Komme bei Schmutz, Verdorbenem oder üblen Taten.
Mache den Magen flau, das Gesicht ganz blass,
Sage dir deutlich: "Weg von diesem Nass!" oder "Fass das nicht an!"
Ich trage einen männlichen Artikel vor mir her.
Wer bin ich?
Translation:
I am a strong feeling, often uninvited,
I come with dirt, spoiled things, or evil deeds sated.
I make the stomach queasy, the face quite pale,
Tell you clearly: "Away from this wet trail!" or "Don't touch that without fail!"
I carry a masculine article before me.
Who am I?
Solution: der Ekel (disgust)
For the Curious
Word Origin
The word "Ekel" comes from the Middle High German "ęckel" or "ękel", which originally meant something more like "horror" or "abhorrence". It's related to the Old High German "egilī" (horror, abhorrence). The roots point towards a strong negative reaction.
Related Terms
- ekeln (verb): to feel disgusted (sich ekeln) or to cause disgust (jemanden ekeln).
- eklig (adjective): disgusting, nasty.
- ekelhaft (adjective): Synonym for eklig, often stronger; disgusting, revolting.
- Ekeltopf (colloquial): Very derogatory term for a disgusting person.
Summary: is it der, die or das Ekel?
The German word for disgust or aversion, Ekel, is masculine. The correct article is der Ekel.