(grosser, grossest, grosses, grossing, grossed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
Note: The plural of the number is 'gross'.
1.
You use gross to describe something unacceptable or unpleasant to a very great amount, degree, or intensity.
The company were guilty of gross negligence.
...an act of gross injustice.
ADJ: ADJ n
• grossly
Funding of education had been grossly inadequate for years...
She was grossly overweight.
ADV: ADV -ed/adj
2.
If you say that someone's speech or behaviour is gross, you think it is very rude or unacceptable.
He abused the Admiral in the grossest terms...
I feel disgusted and wonder how I could ever have been so gross.
ADJ [disapproval]
3.
If you describe something as gross, you think it is very unpleasant. (INFORMAL)
They had a commercial on the other night for Drug Free America that was so gross I thought Daddy was going to faint...
He wears really gross holiday outfits.
ADJ [disapproval]
4.
If you describe someone as gross, you mean that they are extremely fat and unattractive.
I only resist things like chocolate if I feel really gross.
ADJ: v-link ADJ [disapproval]
5.
Gross means the total amount of something, especially money, before any has been taken away.
...a fixed rate account guaranteeing 10.4% gross interest or 7.8% net until October.
ADJ: ADJ n
•
Gross is also an adverb.
Interest is paid gross, rather than having tax deducted.
...a father earning ?20,000 gross a year.
ADV: ADV after v
6.
Gross means the total amount of something, after all the relevant amounts have been added together.
National Savings gross sales in June totalled ?709 million.
ADJ: ADJ n
7.
Gross means the total weight of something, including its container or wrapping.
ADJ: ADJ n
8.
If a person or a business grosses a particular amount of money, they earn that amount of money before tax has been taken away. (BUSINESS)
So far the films have grossed more than ?590 million.
VERB: V n
9.
A gross is a group of 144 things.
He ordered twelve gross of the disks.
NUM: usu a/num NUM