Nausea
Etymology
From Greek "nausia" (seasickness), from "naus" (ship) — the same root as "nautical" and "astronaut." The word’s origin is literally seasickness; the queasiness of a rolling boat became the name for that feeling anywhere.
noun · /NAW-zee-uh/
The queasy sensation of being about to vomit.
What it names
Use it for the feeling itself — the urge and unease — which is distinct from actually being sick.
Example
The car’s winding descent brought on a wave of nausea before they reached the valley.
Related idea
Nausea is the sensation; vomiting is the act — you can feel intense nausea without vomiting, and the two are controlled by overlapping but separate reflexes. Much nausea traces to the inner ear’s balance system, which is why motion so reliably triggers it.