INDEX:
1. to vomit
2. when you think you are going to vomit
3. the physical condition of being sick
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ ILL/SICK
↑ HORRIBLE
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1. to vomit
▷ throw up also be sick British /ˌθrəʊ ˈʌp, biː ˈsɪk/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill, drunk, shocked etc :
▪ Keith’s had a particularly nasty form of the illness - he’s even been throwing up with it.
▪ One of my worst memories is of being sick in school assembly.
▪ Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.
▪ The dog’s been sick all over the carpet.
throw something up
▪ I tried giving him some cool, boiled water, but he even threw that up.
▷ vomit /ˈvɒmɪt, ˈvɒmətǁˈvɑː-/ [intransitive verb]
to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth - used especially in medical contexts :
▪ If she starts vomiting, contact the doctor immediately.
vomit [uncountable noun]
▪ The car seat was covered with vomit.
▪ Morrison died after choking on his own vomit.
▷ puke /barf American /pjuːk, bɑːʳf/ [intransitive verb] informal
to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill, drunk etc :
▪ It smells like someone puked in here.
▪ I could barely stand up without barfing.
▷ bring up /ˌbrɪŋ ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth, especially just after eating or drinking :
bring up something
▪ It is quite normal for your baby to bring up some milk after feeding.
bring something/it up
▪ ‘Did you try giving him steamed fish?’ ‘Yes, but he brought it all up again.’
▷ regurgitate /rɪˈgɜːʳdʒɪteɪt, rɪˈgɜːʳdʒəteɪt/ [transitive verb]
if birds or animals regurgitate something they have just eaten, they bring it up through their mouth, for example in order to feed it to their young :
▪ The chicks will feed on the partially-digested food regurgitated by the parent.
▷ retch/heave /retʃ, hiːv/ [intransitive verb]
if you retch or heave, your stomach muscles move in an uncontrollable way as though you are going to vomit :
▪ He was doubled over in pain, gasping and retching as if his insides were on fire.
▪ The stench from the bed was enough to make Detective Saunders heave.
▷ gag /gæg/ [intransitive verb]
if you gag, your throat moves as though you are going to vomit, especially because you have tasted or smelled something very unpleasant :
▪ I could hardly eat the fish without gagging.
gag at/on
▪ Janir took a sip of the medicine and gagged at the vile taste.
▪ Joe gagged on his first cigarette, red-faced and choking.
2. when you think you are going to vomit
▷ feel sick also feel sick to your stomach American /ˌfiːl ˈsɪk, fiːl ˌsɪk tə jɔːʳ ˈstʌmək/ [verb phrase]
to have the feeling that you are going to vomit :
▪ If you feel sick, there’s the bowl, okay?
▪ I had no urge to smoke when I was pregnant. It made me feel sick to my stomach.
▪ He developed a severe headache and felt very sick by day three.
▷ feel queasy/nauseous /fiːl ˈkwiːzi, ˈnɔːziəs/ [adjective]
to have the sick feeling you get in your stomach and head when you think you are going to vomit :
▪ He felt queasy as soon as the boat started to move.
▪ Just the thought of all that food’s made me feel quite queasy.
▷ nausea /ˈnɔːziə, -siəǁ-ziə, -ʃə/ [uncountable noun]
the feeling that you have when you think you are going to vomit - used especially in medical contexts :
▪ Cancer drugs often have unpleasant side effects, such as nausea and loss of hair.
▪ Nausea swept over me as I looked at the body of the dead boy.
▷ be going to throw up also be going to be sick British /biː ˌgəʊɪŋ tə θrəʊ ˈʌp, biː ˌgəʊɪŋ tə biː ˈsɪk/ [verb phrase]
if you feel that you are going to throw up or you are going to be sick, you feel that you are going to vomit very soon :
▪ ‘I think I’m going to be sick,’ said a small voice from the back of the classroom.
▪ You look very pale -- you’re not going to throw up are you?
3. the physical condition of being sick
▷ vomiting /ˈvɒmɪtɪŋ, ˈvɒmətɪŋǁˈvɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Symptoms include dizziness, vomiting and headache.
▪ Persistent vomiting can lead to dehydration.
▷ morning sickness /ˌmɔːʳnɪŋ ˈsɪknə̇s/ [uncountable noun]
a feeling of sickness that some women have when they are expecting a baby :
▪ Morning sickness usually disappears after the third month of pregnancy.