gros: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2All registers, from formal (financial, legal) to informal (conversational). The negative 'vulgar' sense is particularly common in informal speech.
Quick answer
What does “gros” mean?
a) (adj.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
a) (adj.) extremely large in amount, size, or degree; total before deductions. b) (adj.) repulsively vulgar or unattractive. c) (adj.) obviously wrong or unacceptable; flagrant. d) (verb) to earn or receive a total sum before deductions.
Can refer to something lacking refinement, literally thick/dense (e.g., gross anatomy, gross weight), or in law, describing behavior that is willful and without excuse. Also used as an informal exclamation ('That's gross!').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use all senses. Spelling of the verb is 'grosses', 'grossed', 'grossing' in both. The informal exclamation 'Gross!' is equally common.
Connotations
Slightly stronger negative connotation in the 'disgusting' sense in American youth/casual speech.
Frequency
The 'total before deductions' sense is slightly more frequent in formal UK financial contexts (e.g., 'gross domestic product').
Grammar
How to Use “gros” in a Sentence
gross + noun (adj.)to gross + amount (verb)verb + gross (e.g., find sth gross)gross + adverb (e.g., grossly unfair)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gros” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The film is expected to gross over £20 million in its opening weekend.
- How much did the fundraiser gross this year?
American English
- The franchise grossed $2 billion worldwide.
- She grosses a six-figure salary.
adverb
British English
- He was grossly underpaid for his work.
- The media reported the event grossly inaccurately.
American English
- The estimate was grossly inflated.
- She felt grossly misrepresented by the article.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'The company's gross revenue exceeded projections.' Refers to total income before expenses.
Academic
'The study examined gross motor skills in early childhood.' Means large, visible movements.
Everyday
'Don't eat that, it's gone gross!' Means disgusting or unpleasant.
Technical
'The bridge failed due to a gross error in load calculation.' Means glaringly obvious and serious.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gros”
- Using 'gross' to mean simply 'big' (use 'large'). Confusing 'gross' and 'net'. Using the adjective as a verb incorrectly (e.g., 'It grosses' instead of 'It is gross').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Gross' refers to the total amount before any subtractions (like taxes, costs). 'Net' is the final amount after all subtractions. E.g., Gross profit → Net profit.
No, the meaning of 'disgusting' or 'vulgar' is informal and conversational. The formal negative meanings are 'gross negligence' or 'gross injustice' (meaning blatant/flagrant).
It is a transitive verb meaning 'to earn/produce as total revenue'. Structure: Subject + gross + [amount of money]. E.g., 'The show grossed $1 million.'
Almost never. 'Grossly' as an adverb intensifies negatives. It means 'extremely/outrageously' in a bad way (grossly unfair, grossly overweight). It is not used for positive extremes.
a) (adj.
Gros: in British English it is pronounced /ɡrəʊs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡroʊs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “gross someone out”
- “by the gross (in large quantities)”
- “in gross (in total, legally)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a large, fat cheque (GROSS income) that gets slimmed down by taxes (NET income). Separately, think 'GROSS' like something that makes you go 'Eww!'
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY IS SIZE (gross amount = large amount). MORAL QUALITY IS CLEANLINESS (gross behavior = dirty behavior).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'gross' mean 'disgusting'?