Nausea

Nausea Glossary

purâtre

a french word meaning “pure-ish.” It appears on a decaying movie poster, which Antoine sees while wandering at night.

banal

lacking originality

nebulous

vague and unclear

interminable

endless

monotonous

overly consistent or repetitious to the point of tedium

sketchy

incomplete or partial (of an account of something)

ruminate

to think deeply

giddiness

a state of excitement

morose

gloomy or bad-tempered

miserly

penny-pinching or unwilling to spend much money

capricious

changes in behavior that are unaccountable and sudden

scrupulous

a process or person that pays attention to detail

myriad

a large number or quantity

flabby

fleshy and soft

superfluous

unnecessary excess of something

disconcerted

confused

pompous

self-important

metamorphosis

the process by which a thing transforms its shape or form and becomes something else

docile

obedient

Stream of Consciousness

first defined by William James, stream of consciousness refers to the continuous flow of one’s thoughts and experiences in the mind. Many modernist writers developed a writing style which attempted to capture this continuous flow, and as such, the term was applied generally to this narrative style.

existent

something which has actual, present being

bourgeoisie

the middle class. In a Marxist context, they are specifically the capitalist class who own the means of production.

Ducks and Drakes

a children's game of skipping stones

Corsica

Corsica is a small island and a part of France. Famously, it is the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was nicknamed “Le Corse” or “The Corsican.”

Humanism

humanism is a wide-ranging intellectual movement that has many different manifestations. In Nausea, it appears largely as a belief in the inherent good of humanity.

Socialism

socialism is a political and economic movement that started in the 19th century. Marxism, built on the texts of Karl Marx and popular in France during Sartre’s time, is perhaps the most commonly known form of socialist thought.

désœuvré

a French term meaning unemployed or idle

Khmer

modern-day Cambodia

being-in-itself

non-conscious being, like stones, dead things, or plants

being-for-itself

conscious being or thought

being-for-others

conscious being confronted by the existence of other conscious beings

Buy Study Guide Cite this page