What is disgust?

Disgust is when something makes you want to run away or hide because it feels really yucky.

Imagine you're eating your favorite cookie, and suddenly, squish!, a worm falls into your mouth. You probably jump up, drop the cookie, and shout, “Gross!” That’s disgust in action.

Sometimes, things look or smell strange. Like when your brother eats a whole bowl of spaghetti with ketchup and says it's delicious. You might think, “Why would anyone do that?!”, that’s disgust too.

Other times, something feels icky on your skin. Think about stepping into a puddle of mud after rain. It squelches under your feet, and you feel like you’re covered in sludge. That’s also disgust, but it's more about how things feel than how they taste.

Disgust helps us stay safe. If something smells bad or looks strange, our brain says, “That might be dangerous, better avoid it!” So even though you’re screaming “Ewww!” at the worm in your cookie, you're actually doing something smart: protecting yourself from a yucky surprise.