WordGarden.iovomit
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /vˈɒmɪt/
US
- /ˈvɑmət/
Meanings
Verb
to bring up the contents of the stomach through the mouth
Noun
the matter brought up from the stomach when someone vomits
Beyond the definition
To vomit is to bring the contents of your stomach up through your mouth. It often happens because of illness, food poisoning, motion sickness, pregnancy, or something that upset the stomach. In everyday English, people also say throw up or, especially in British English, be sick. The word vomit can be a verb, as in "He vomited after the ride," and also a noun, as in "There was vomit on the floor." It usually refers to a sudden, unpleasant physical reaction and is often linked with nausea, weakness, and discomfort.
People sometimes use the word in a figurative way to suggest disgust or strong rejection, but its main use is still the literal physical one. Because it is unpleasant and fairly direct, speakers sometimes choose softer phrases instead.
Vomit refers to the matter that comes up from the stomach through the mouth, and it also means to bring that matter up. So the word works both as a noun and as a verb. You can say "The child vomited in the car" or "There was vomit on his shirt." In both cases, the idea is the same: stomach contents coming up in an unpleasant and often sudden way.
In literal use, vomit is commonly connected with sickness, food poisoning, infection, motion sickness, pregnancy, too much alcohol, strong pain, or other problems that upset the body. It is often preceded by nausea, and the event itself is usually seen as messy, uncomfortable, and distressing. Because of that, people often choose less direct expressions such as throw up, be sick, or bring up. More informal words like puke or barf are also common in casual speech.
The word can appear in medical, everyday, and descriptive writing. In a medical setting, it may sound neutral and factual. In ordinary conversation, it can sound blunt because the subject is unpleasant. Writers may also use it for strong effect when they want to show disgust, weakness, fear, or a harsh bodily reaction. Sometimes it is even used figuratively for extreme disgust or rejection, though that is less common than the direct physical meaning.
Overall, vomit is a straightforward English word for throwing up or for the substance that is thrown up. It is useful because it is clear, but many speakers replace it with softer or more informal alternatives depending on the situation, the audience, and the tone they want.
Examples
- 1
Sick baby
The baby vomited twice during the night.
- 2
Bad smell
The smell of the spoiled milk made her vomit.
- 3
Medical advice
If you vomit after taking the medicine, call your doctor.
- 4
Car mess
The child vomited all over the back seat.
- Phraseall over
onto many parts of something
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Noun use
There was vomit on the bathroom floor.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- vomitnounverb
Forms
- vomiting-ing formverbnoun
- vomitedpast tenseverbnoun
- vomitspluralnounverb